Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Manipur opts for NH-53

Imphal, Aug 26 : With hundreds of goods laden truck bound for Imphal stranded near Kohima on NH-39 following heavy landslides at Zubza, the State Government has decided to lift essential commodities including rice, sugar and fuel from the FCI godown at Silchar and transport the same through NH-53 on the ImphalJiribam route.

On the other hand the State Government has asked the authority of the IOC to make sure that fuel is available to the people at the petrol pumps from tomorrow.
Speaking to The Sangai Express an official source said that following the heavy landslide in neighbouring Nagaland and with hundreds of goods laden trucks stranded on the way, the rice and fuel stock is running low in the State.

It is to make up for the shortage of the essential commodities that the Government has decided to transport the essential commodities through NH-53, explained the source.

To lift the essential commodities from the godown at Silchar, FCI authority has deputed its trucks for the said purpose, said the source and added that at the moment, the stock of PDS rice in the State is 60,000 quintal.

The State Government has also asked the IOC authority to make sure that fuel is available to the people through the oil pumps without any hindrances from tomorrow.

There will be no bar on the quantity of fuel that a vehicle owner may want, said the source but added that the police has been instructed not to let anyone buy fuel in large quantity in jerry cans.

Two FCS Inspectors have also been deployed to check how many tankers have arrived in the State, how many tankers have unloaded their fuel at the Oil Depot and at the petrol pumps as well as to study whether the fuel have been spiked or not, added the source further.

Following the landslides near Kohima the petrol pumps in Imphal have been closed for most of the time.

Meanwhile the Deputy Commissioner of Kohima SA Sachopra Vero has sent a message to the State FCS Commissioner S Buddhachandra to inform the people concerned not to carry more than 14/15 tonnes of goods to Manipur through NH-39 until the condition of the highway improves.

Trucks loaded with more than 14/15 tonnes are facing a lot of difficulties in passing through the sunken zones due to the landslides.

A number of stranded trucks including 51 tankers and 23 goods laden trucks including two trucks carrying fertilisers have reached Imphal.

On the other hand anticipating that trucks carrying fertilisers may be heading towards Imphal a large number of farmers from Lamshang and Sekmai thronged Sekmai post today from early morning to check if any of the trucks were carrying fertilisers.

The farmers explained that they were constrained to check the incoming trucks as they are badly in need of fertilisers and they do not want it to fall into the wrong hands.


Farmers thronging the Sekmai post to intercept fertilisers truck

On hearing that the farmers were checking vehicles at Sekmai, Assistant Fertiliser Officer Ksh Gopen accompanied by his staff rushed to Sekmai to talk to the farmers.

By the time the official team reached Sekmai the farmers had dispersed and the Agriculture officer asked the OC of Sekmai police not to let the farmers disrupt the flow of trucks carrying fertilisers, said a source.

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