Imphal, August 10 2010: After a gap of over three months, open sale of petrol and diesel will be started in the retail outlets.

An order regarding the de-rationing of petroleum products was issued by the state Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution today.

Informing that open sale of petroleum products in the retail outlets will be started, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution minister, Y Erabot said that government will no more control the distribution of petroleum products with the replenishment of the badly depleted stocks in the government depots.

The stocks went low due to prolonged disturbances in the procurement of these products into the state.

The badly depleted stocks of petroleum products in the state were replenished with the initiative taken by the Central government following strong pressure from the state government, Erabot said to reporters in a press briefing held at his office chamber today.

He said, petroleum products which would last for 13 days are in the stock of the government oil depots, and even though economic blockade is still imposed on the national highways, the products were procured to Imphal via NH-39 and NH-53 with security escorts.

The same will continue, he added.

Petrol and diesel will be re-rationed but there will be some problems in re-rationing kerosene as less quantity of the item arrived at Imphal, he said, expressing hope that the stock of the item will improve soon.

While informing that the stock position of the rice and other PDS items have also been improved, the minister said that rice for the month of May which is still pending will be distributed through the PDS agents.

But as for sugar, it will be delayed by some days as FCI (food Corporation of India) authority is facing a short supply of this item at the all India level for the time being.

The FCI is facing shortage in sugar stock as government rate is very low and market rate is high and producers of this item prefer to sell in the open market.

Meanwhile, a total of 163 freight trucks reached Imphal via NH-39 today with security escort, on the sixth day of the economic blockade on the national highways imposed by the UNC.

No untoward incidents were reported on the way, police said.

Among the 163 freight trucks, there were 67 oil tankers, five bulk LPG careers and another 67 with FCI rice, the report added.

Mention may be made that normal movement of vehicles on the Imphal-Dimapur section of the NH-39 is being disturbed due to landslides at the KMC dumping site near Kohima in the last three days.

As this year witnessed one of the heaviest monsoon rainfalls, the BRO which is manning the NH-39, the lifeline of Nagaland capital Kohima and neighbouring Manipur is facing a herculean task in dealing with nature as saturated mud prompted landslide and subsidings on many stretches of the highway.

On the other hand officials of Border Road Organisation (BRO) maintaining the highway in Nagaland section said that heavy rainfall has caused series of landslides and subsidings along the NH-39 and so far 12 such subsidings and landslides have occurred within the jurisdiction of the BRO.

They said 604 mm rainfall was recorded last year at Zubza till August whereas it has recorded upto 1293.75 mm during the same period this year.

They also predicted a worsening situation if the rainfall continued revealing that the subsidings have so far been noticed at Km 165.500, Km 175.000, Km 180.400, Km 180.600, Km 209.650, Km 211.700, Km 219.120, Km 221.350, Km 221.800, Km 222.300, Km 223.450 and Km 227.800 of the NH-39 .

It attributed the subsiding mainly due to over loaded trucks passing on saturated hills.

The overloaded trucks often breakdown mainly at Km 175.000 and Km 227.800 leading to traffic jam.

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