Imphal, October 07 2010: Manipur government is unhappy with the office of the Directorate of General of Trade and Commerce, New Delhi, with the latter's delay in the issue of license for importing rice from Myanmar.

The Central government had already granted permission to the state government for the import.

Seeking the PM's intervention in the matter, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh Thursday wrote a letter to Prime Minister, Dr Manmohon Singh urging him to speed up the process of issuing the trade licence to Manipur Industrial Development Corporation (MANIDCO), an official said.

Chief Minister was understood to have informed the Prime Minister that the delay in issuing the licence has caused immense inconveniences.

To overcome the food crisis arising out of the economic blockade called by UNC and ANSAM, Manipur Government was given permission to import 3000 MT of rice from Myanmar in June this year.

However, nothing has materialized till date due to the delay in issuing a foreign trade licence to the agency entrusted by the state government.

Further, the Union Commerce Ministry had already granted permission to the Manipur Government to import 30,000 MT of rice from Myanmar annually.

Myanmar is said to be the rice bowl in Asia and its three varieties-ayemin, sanshei and pasan are very popular in Manipur.

Manipur Industrial Development Corporation (MANIDCO) which is engaged in promotion of small-scale industries and border trade, had been entrusted by the State Government to import the rice.

The state government had received the nod from the Centre to import 3000 metric tones of rice from the neighbouring country in the month of June this year to meet the rice scarcity in the state in the wake of the prolonged economic blockades on the NHs connecting the state with other parts of the country.

The blockades had been imposed by UNC and ANSAM.

To speed up the process of rice import, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between North East Federation of International Trade (NEFIT) and Union of Myanmar Border Trade Chamber of Commerce, Tamu and Kaley at a meeting in June.MANIDCO was about to commence the import of the item from, September, but it was delayed due to the non-issuance of a trade license by the Directorate of General of Trade and Commerce, New Delhi.

State Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAF&PD) Department which will bear responsibility for the transportation and the stocking of the item has sped up the construction of godowns having a 500 metric tone capacity at a given time at the border town Moreh to store the imported item before onward transportation to Imphal.

Food Corporation of India (FCI) will be responsible for checking the quality of the imported goods.

No tax will be imposed on the traders importing the item.

To facilitate the import, an Integrated Trade Information and Facility Centre was opened in Moreh last month by Commerce and Industries minister, Y Erabot in the first week of September.

According to available statistics, Manipur produces nearly 5.18 lakh MT rice annually against the demand 6.21 lakh MT.

But last year the state produced only 2.50 lakh MT.

This reduction coupled with the prolonged economic blockades worsened the situation.

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