Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 07 2010:
Launching its campaign for survival from today, All Manipur Anti Drug Association (AMADA) has exerted pressures on the State Government to set up a Price Fixation Committee to regulate the prices of essential commodities.
Proposed to cover four districts of the State, namely Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal and Bishnupur, the campaign kicked off from Nagamapal Kangjabi Leirak Machin.
Women vendors of Nagamapal joined hands with AMADA volunteers in staging a protest demonstration against hike in the prices of essential commodities arbitrarily.
A public meeting was also held with president of AMADA head office M Padmani Leima; member of Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, Thoubal and Chandel L Rameshwore; general secretary of Transporters and Drivers' Council, Manipur Ng Haridas; general secretary of Consumers' Club, Manipur Ch Nabachandra; president of Ima Leibak Thougal Lup Khwai Ima Keithel Ph Likla Leima; Binodkumar of Kangjabi Leirak Youth Club Wing and secretary of Khwai Nagamapal Nishaband Association Kh Satyabhama as presidium members.
Delivering the key note address of the meeting, secretary of AMADA Ph Phoni observed that AMADA is basically an organisation working for prevention of drug abuse and alcoholism, but it is also really concerned about the problem scarcity of food and other essential commodities in the State today.
Cooking gas, rice, sugar, petrol, diesel and all other essential commodities are still available in Manipur.
But the prices of these commodities have sky-rocketed so much so that it is beyond the reach of many people.
Unfortunately, the Government has done nothing to resolve this problem.
So AMADA has taken up the onus of launching the campaign for survival to create public awareness on the need for controlling the prices.
Addressing the meeting,, Ng Haridas reiterated that the decision not to take on National Highway 39 but to ply along National Highway 53 is the collective decision of the Transporters and Drivers' Council, Manipur.
L Rameshwore observed that the inability of the State Government to control the prices of the essential commodities and giving free hand to the businessmen is most unfortunate.
In order to control the prices, the Government should set up a Price Fixation Committee.
The meeting also adopted various recommendations including development of Imphal-Jiribam road stretch of the NH 53 as an all weather National Highway and a primary lifeline of the State and deployment of adequate State forces along the National Highway 53 more particularly at Tupul, Noney and Awang Khul.
The meeting also recommended joint meeting with the chiefs of the villages located on either sides of National Highway 53 to prevent recurrence of unwanted incidents along the National Highway.