Imphal, July 28 2010: Cutting across ruling-opposition line, members of the state Assembly today heavily came to the government on the matter of price hiked created by created by artificial scarcity of essential commodities put up as policy cut motion and also on bad power supply condition.

In reply to the observations, Chief Minister, O Ibobi said that government is also remaining silent in the developing situation.

A joint team of IOC, Railways, FCI, etc.

will be arriving in the state on July 31 to take stock of the situation to the state in response to his strong pressure to the Centre during the National Development Council's meeting held at New Delhi recently.

Oppositions brought the issue of artificial scarcity of essential commodities and bad power supply position in the house of the Assembly as policy cut motion during the general discussion for passing the budget estimates of the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Power Department among others.

Highlighting plight of the people due to the hiking up of prices of the essential commodities and non-availability of goods in the open markets, opposition member O Joy of MPP blamed the government and the department concern for not taking up effective steps to deal with the rising prices of the essential commodities.

He said despite the end of the economic blockade and due to the refusal by the transporters and truckers to resume plying the NH-39, regular flow of essential commodities in the state is disturbing.

It is all aware.

But government is seemed giving permission to grey marketer in the back door to procure the goods from outside the state and sold it at higher prices.

Goods are selling at higher rates grey market even though it was not found in the open market, O joy observed.

He also cautioned the government that if the present trend is continued, government will face a great uprising of the people when they cross the limit of patient.

Taking part in the discussion, K Meghachandra of ruling Congress charged the food minister of failing to distribute PDS items.

The items are keeping pile up in his own residence while people are suffering a lot in buying the items from the grey market, he charged.

With regard to the short power supply in the state, opposition expressed surprise when power minister said that the heavy fuel power project at Leimakhong in Imphal is for standby purpose and asked what the meaning of standby is when people are getting power hardly for three hours day.

The power supply position is woefully bad in the state when only 80 Mega Watt of power is supply against the actual requirement of 170 MW during the picked hour.

The opposition charged that the sort supply is not due to fund constraint but fail power supply policy.

The 36 MW heavy fuel power project was termed as sleeping lion by the oppositions denouncing power minister's statement that it was set up for standby purpose.

They asked what is the useful of standby when the state is still facing sort supply of power.

A joint team of IOC, Railways, FCI, etc.

will be arriving in the state on July 31 to take stock of the situation in the state with regard to the non-availability of essential commodities due to uncertainty on the National Highways that has resulted in the soaring up of prices of goods, said Chief Minister, O Ibobi in reply to the observation made by the members of the House.

The team is coming into the state in response to his strong pressure to the Centre when he participated in the National Development Council meeting held at New Delhi last weekend, the Chief Minister while giving reply to the observations made by the members of both ruling and opposition on the hardships facing by the people due to soaring up of prices of the general discussion on the demand for grant of departments in the House.

Government is not remaining silent when the prices of essential commodities sky rocketed.

Considering the plight of the people, he pressed hard in the meeting, Ibobi asserting that truckers are refusing to ply the NH-39 while they took seven to eight days a trip in procuring the items on NH-53 even though its is only 225 km.

Owing to the prevailing condition, he had pressed the Centre to allow procurement of the items from Myanmar and in response to his pressure, Centre is sending a team of officials to assess the situation of the state, he added.

After thorough discussion and cut motions were withdrawn, the house passed Rs 12,74,70 for the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Rs 345,42,73,000 for power, Rs 4,00,86,000 for stationary and printing, Rs 4,56,21,000 for state Academy of Training and Rs 41,92,50,000 for Horticulture and Soil Conservation.

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