Imphal, April 16: With the entire country gripped by inflation, in fact the highest in the last three years, Manipur too has begun to feel the pinch of the price rise with the Centre deciding to slash the State's quota of Above Poverty Level rice for the current fiscal.

Moreover the State has not been receiving its quota of sugar for the last three months.

Confirming the slash in quota, FCS Minister Y Erabot today however said that the main reason for the Centre deciding the slash the State's share is due to the failure of the State to procure its full share in the past.

It is due to these lapses that the quota has been slashed.

A well placed source informed The Sangai Express that the Ministry of Consumers Affairs, Department of Food and Civil Supply sent a written missive to the State Government on May 20 fixing the APL rice quota for the current fiscal at 2182 tonnes while the quota of wheat was fixed at 500 tonnes.

Earlier, the State's share of the APL rice was 2769 tonnes.

The reduction in the State's share could be due to the inflation all over the country, he explained.

The Centre has also not been releasing the sugar share of the State for the last three months said the source and added that there is no change in the quota with respect to AAY and BPL rice.

Earlier the APL rice did not have many takers since its price was high than BPL rice, lately people had started buying it.

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