IMPHAL, November 8: Following an arrangement between the Indian and Myanmar governments, starting December 5, rice from the neighbouring country will be brought into the State.
Sources said 10,000 MT of rice will be brought in each month.
In connection with the said arrangement, the concerned Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution minister, Moirangthem Okendro has instructed the higher officials of the depatment to maintain the godowns of the department in border town Moreh in top condition.
The minister, accompanied by high ranking officials of the department had also inspected the godowns in the border town yesterday.
During the tour, the minister had observed that considering the location of the department’s godown in the town which lies next to the national highway, it is the best to store the rice coming from the neighbouring country, informed the source.
He further instructed the officials to arrange proper security to prevent theft and other untoward incidents, maintenance of staff quarters, approach roads and boundary fencing of the warehouse at the soonest, it added.
The source continued that the warehouse with a 500 MT storing capacity and constructed on 1.8 acre land has been lying unused even after its construction. MLA D Korungthang during the visit instructed the officials concerned to clear the encroachers inside the premise of the warehouse.
The transportation work will be carried out by the Food Cooperation of India, and the rice will be of high quality, according to minister M Okendro, it said.
Further it said that the transportation of rice by the FCI from Jiribam to Imphal had to be stopped because of the ‘Mega Rail Block’ from October 1 this year, which is due to railways works implemented by the Northeast Frontier Railway along the Lunding-Badarpur railway line for making it into a broad gauge.
During the visit of the minister M Okendro and his officials, the team also inspected the Land Customs Stations and condition of the Weigh Bridge etc. The Weigh Bridge was installed with MANIDCO as the implementing agency, which has capacity to weigh 40 MT. Its construction work was started when Jairam Ramesh was the Union minister of State (Commerce) and N Mangi Singh was the minister of Commerce & Industries, government of Manipur in September 29, 2006, recalled the source.
The visiting team also included Y Thamkishore, commissioner of CAF & PD; M Yaiskul, director of CAF & PD; Robert Ksh, ADC Moreh; Ksh Thoiba deputy regional manager of FCI, Imphal; Ranjan Yumnam, joint director of CAF & PD along with other officials, it added.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/11/fci-to-transport-rice-from-myanmar-into-state-starting-from-december/