BJP demands enquiry into missing rice
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 13 2017: BJP Manipur Pradesh has urged the State Government to enquire into the alleged disappearance of rice allocated to the 60 Assembly Constituencies of the State for five months after it was lifted by fair price shop agents before the incumbent coalition Government was formed.

Speaking to media persons at their Nityaipat Chuthek office today, BJP Manipur Pradesh election management committee convenor and former MP Th Chaoba claimed that the new Government has started executing many of the promises made by BJP through their election manifesto.

Implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) in the State has also been streamlined.

Citing the case of Nambol AC, Chaoba said that there are 24 fair price shop agents in Nambol AC and the total quantity of rice entitled to the Assembly segment every month is 1794 quintals or 1,79,400 Kgs.

The monetary value of these 1,79,400 Kgs of rice calculated at the Government subsidised rate of Rs 3 per Kg is Rs 5,38,200.If calculated at the market price of Rs 25 per Kg, the monetary value shoots up to Rs 44,85,000 .

Even though subsidised rice allocated to Nambol AC for the months of November last year to March this year was lifted by fair price shop agents from godowns, the same was not distributed to beneficiaries.

The total quantity of rice for the five months was 8,97,000 Kgs and its monetary value at market rate was Rs 2,24,25,000.The same amount has been looted, Chaoba said.

This is for Nambol AC alone.

If all the 60 Assembly segments of the State are taken into account, altogether Rs 134,55,00,000 has been looted.

As such, the Government ought to enquire into the issue, Chaoba demanded.

Maintaining that food security is a fundamental right of all citizens, Chaoba asserted that people cannot be denied subsidised rice just because it was election time.

Noting that some quantities of subsidised rice thus misappropriated have been recuperated after investigation by the MLAs concerned, Chaoba said that there are many people in remote areas of the State who have little idea about the NFSA.

It is essential to set up FCI godowns at hill district headquarters so that subsidised rice reaches all the people, he added.

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