IMPHAL, December 28: Fearing possible interruption in the supply of essential commodities including petroleum products in the state, the Election Commission of India has directed the state government to maintain enough stock of all essential commodities to last the election process, a source informed.
A source has also informed that considering the directive of the ECI to the state government and the concerned CAF&PD department to submit a daily report on the status of stocks available in the state, the concerned authorities have already sent their present status report on essential commodities stock.
Meanwhile, an official insider of the CAF&PD has informed that since the last two three months there have been no proper stock of essential commodities in the state.
The official further informed that even as the state has managed to maintain enough stock for day to day supply till date, the state has also failed to maintain surplus stock of the essential commodities in the state godowns that could last for about a month.
“The state should increase the frequency of transportation of essential commodities into the state by at least three times than now to maintain a surplus stock that could last for around one month”, the official insider further informed.
Considering the ensuing election, the state should have enough stock to last for at least two months, the official further added.
Meanwhile, according to an official source, the present stock of petroleum products available in the state is MS, P Oil- 944kl which could last for only eight days; HSD (diesel)- 2769kl which could last eight days and SK Oil (kerosene)- 1995kl which could last only five days while the state has a stock of 241mt of LPG which could last only three days; ATF- 384kl which could last another 18 days.
Meanwhile complying with the ECI directive, the CAF&PD department has initiated transportation of essential commodities along both highways of the state with full security cover.
The state government has further directed the authorities of security forces posted along the highways to provide any needed security arrangement to the transporters to prevent any kinds of disturbances in the transportation of essential commodities into the state, the source informed.