Manipur truckers and transporters have refused to unload PDS items they transported at Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns in Imphal protesting against an order of the general manager (GM) of FCI regional office, Dimapur asking them to lift 80% of Manipur’s quota from FCI godowns at Dimapur.

With the truckers refusing to unload the PDS items they lifted from FCI godown in Jiribam, normal transportation of FCI goods into the state has been affected since June 18.

The truckers are now demanding the revocation of the ‘movement order’ issued by the FCI regional office (Nagaland/Manipur region) on June 9 last.

The order stated that 80% of the June quota of PDS items for the state of Manipur should be lifted from Dimapur while the remaining 20% from its godown at Jiribam.

Acting on a letter written by FCI regional office, Dimapur to stop transportation of PDS items like rice, sugar and wheat till Jiribam by train, the railways authority has also suspended transportation of all PDS items to Jiribam.

Decrying the GM’s order, Transporters and Drivers’ Council (TDC) had decided to suspend unloading of the PDS items at Imphal’s Sangaiprou and Koirengei godowns demanding review of the ‘movement order’ on or before June 16. With the expiry of the deadline, they truckers have resumed suspension of unloading of goods from June 18.

Over 150 loaded trucks were still parked nearby the two sites for the last three days as the decision of TDC got support from Manipur Truck Owners’ Welfare Association and All Manipur Road Transport and Motor Workers’ Union (AMRTMU).

President of the AMRTMU Kullamani Singh said that order of the FCI authority tantamount to indirectly supporting underground elements extorting huge of amount of money from the truckers while plying on the Imphal-Dimapur section of NH-39.

This extortion menace coupled with frequent disturbances, truckers had abandoned the highway and chose to take the NH-37 (former NH-53) after FCI authority gave clearance to lift the state quotas of PDS items upto Jiribam by rail, he asserted. He further demanded opening of a separate regional office of FCI in Imphal.

TDC’s general secretary Ng Haridas when contacted by this correspondent demanded that FCI authority should allot an additional ‘movement quota’ from Jiribam godown in order to facilitate transportation of essential commodities to prevent shortage of food items normally faced during the rainy season.

He further asked Dimapur-based FCI authorities to act in sync with the sentiment and aspiration of the people of Manipur. Haridas also suggested that the government of Manipur take up relevant measures to set up a regional office exclusively for Manipur in Imphal.

It may be noted that the ‘movement order’ issued by the GM on June 9 last had provided 2500 metric tonne rice and 500 MT wheat for the month of May and 300 MT rice and 450 MT wheat for June, to Jiribam godown for shipment through the Imphal-Jiribam route compared for the June allocation of 7500 MT rice, 2000 MT wheat and 1500 MT sugar for lifting from the Dimapur godown on the Imphal-Dimapur route.

NPO questions TDC’s motives.
Meanwhile, TDC’s refusal to unload FCI PDS items has been questioned by Naga People’s Organization (NPO) and termed the decision as “unrealistic”.

NPO demanded that TDC should be clear and honest on the issue rather than pointing fingers only on “blockades and taxations” along the highway.

In a statement, NPO president M.L. Markson said that with the inaugurated railway project at Karong, the collaborative designs of the Manipur government machineries and TDC to “divert funds and development” along the national Highways was “questionable”.

NPO stated that such immature move of TDC to play blame-game on “taxes, insecurity and blockade” rather than pointing its finger at the weakness of the state government would only invite “communal divide” among the people rather than solve the crisis.

The organization appealed to the “intellectual/think tank community” in the valley to study the situation created by the state government through organizations like TDC and others so as to bridge better communication among the different communities of the state.

NPO said it was not against the development of an alternate route like NH-37 but against the communal designs of any group.