Manipur News

There is always gap between the Food Corporation of India and the people of Manipur in regards to the public distribution system. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) allocates the required food grains like rice, wheat, sugar etc in good quality enough for the people of Manipur monthly. People living in far flung areas of Manipur have not aware of what the Food Corporation of India under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is doing for them.
Construction works of FCI godown in Manipur have been delayed due to non-finalisation of land by the State Government for over two years. The FCI has already proposed to construct 10000 MT capacity godown at Sawombung in Imphal East, 5000 MT at Bishnupur, 2500 MT at Chandel, 5000 MT at Tamenglong, 10000 MT at Jiribam and 2500 MT at Thoubal for storage of sufficient essential commodities for the people. Out of the two constructions at Senapati (5000 MT) and Churachandpur(2500 MT), the godown at Senapati has been completed.
Existing godowns at Sangaiprou (13090 MT), Ukhrul (5000 MT), Jiribam (5000 MT) and Koirengei on hiring (7000 MT) are not sufficient to meet the stock of the whole population of Manipur.
Due to non-finalisation of land for construction of godowns in Manipur, the FCI has recently taken decision for construction of godowns under Private Entrepreneur Guarantee (PEG) scheme.
At present, the FCI allocates 7887 MT rice and 1106 MT wheat and 1470 MT sugar every month to the State Government for the people of Manipur. It is not known whether it has been reached to the beneficiaries or not. There is no any designated fair price shops in Manipur which are regularly distributing these essential items to the people. As per record, there are 2465 fair price shops in Manipur.
The FCI has appealed to the people of Manipur to make aware of the public distribution system of the Central Government by going through its concerned websites and contacting the Department of Food and Consumer Affairs, Government of Manipur and the Deputy Commissioners concerned regularly.
As per an order issued by the Union Ministry of Consumer, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India on October 10 last year for constitution of State/Union Territory level Consultative Committees for the Food Corporation of India to protect the interests of the producers as well as the consumers and to advice the Food Corporation of India on various matters relating to procurement, storage and distribution of food grains; the State Level Consultative Committee of FCI for the state of Manipur was constituted with Shri Thangso Baite, Member of Parliament as Chairman.
The State Consultative Committee will soon visit the Fair Price Shops in Manipur to inspect the distribution of food grains in good quality or not as decided in a meeting held at Imphal recently.said Huidrom Nabakumar Singh, Member, Consultative Committee of FCI for Manipur.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/fci-appeals-to-make-aware-of-public-distribution-system/

IMPHAL, June 15 NNN:  Security forces today seized huge cache of arms and ammunition from a location in the village of Sinam Kom Sanjenlok in Imphal East district, Manipur besides nabbing one militant belonging to the Kuki National Front (KNF-N), who was involved in the recent killing of  a KNF (P) cadre and the bomb attack on the residence of the IFCD minister, during a separate operation.
Displaying the seized weapons and the arrested militants at his office before the media, the district Superintendent of Police Kamei Angam Romanus said that the large quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered while chasing two suspected militants around 8 am in the village of Sinam Kom Sanjenlok.
The operation was conducted by a joined team of the district police commandos and a column of 16 Assam Rifles posted at Sagolmang under his supervision, he said.
He said that the suspected militants were pursued by the combined security team, but they managed to flee from the site and then the security forces unearthed the weapons during an extensive search carried out in the village.
The seized weapons include four lethod (shells), one number each of 7.65 mm, 0.22 mm and 9 mm pistol with one magazine each, two number each of new and old magazines of M-16, three magazines of 7.65 mm pistol, 112 live rounds of AK rifles, six live rounds of 0.22 mm, 10 live rounds of 9 mm and one live round of WRA 53, 85 empty cases of SLR ammunition, 10 5.56 mm, 21 7.62 mm, four empty cases of 9 mm, seven empty cases of WRA 53, 100 9 mm bullets and one Carbine with one magazine.
Romanus added that further in a separate operation carried by the district police commandos, one Kuki National Front (N) militant was arrested in Kongpal Khongkham Leikai at 11:30 am.
Identifying the arrested as self styled pvt Letginhao Haokip, 28, a resident of Moreh Tinnumunjang, the SP further claimed that Haokip was involved in the killing of one self-styled camp commander Seipao from KNF (P) group on May 23 at Sapermeina.
He added that Haokip was   also involved in the grenade attack that took place at the residence of IFCD minister Ngamthang Haokip in Chasad Avenue here on April 26.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/arms-ammunitions-recovered/

IMPHAL, June 15 NNN : The Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) while countering the Assam Rifles’ version that the latter was the one that had seized the huge consignment of liquor on June 13 along the Imphal-Ukhrul road, has said that the claim made by the Assam Rifles was totally wrong.
The apex body of Tangkhul students said volunteers of TKS in collaboratiion with other civil organisations have been on drive against drugs and other intoxicants from being transported to Ukhrul district. “On the fateful day (June 13), the volunteers of TKS and the civil organisations were checking at Lambui area when they stopped two vehicles and found the vehicles loaded with liquor in huge quantity. The volunteers were interrogating the occupants of the vehicles when the Assam Rifles personnel and snatched the liquor and had taken away towards Ukhrul,” alleged the TKS while adding, “On learning about the incident, large number of people from the frontal organisations conglomerated in the Hundung area and intercepted the vehicles carrying liquor.” According to the TKS, the people then set the vehicles loaded with liquor on fire.
The TKS then alleged that deputy commissioner of Ukhrul R Sudan had even asked the volunteers of the civil bodies at Lambui area as to what authority they had that they were stopping vehicles and checking. The Tangkhul students’ body expressed its unhappiness over the attitude of the deputy commissioner who even took photos of the volunteers by himself in his own camera and went away. “Since the concerned authority are not living upto the expectation we have no other option but to carry out drive against liquor,” quipped the TKS.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/18929/