IMPHAL, December 17: FCI has intentionally neglected the NH 37 while ferrying rice for Manipur. The FCI, Assam region has violated the rule of tenders which were mentioned during the tender process, a highly placed source said.
During the bidding process for the tenders of transportation of FCS items, it`™s mentioned that such items should be transported through Jagi Road via Silchar and Jiribam but after the tenders were awarded to an individual agency, the items are ferried via Dimapur Road flouting the rules, it added.
The rice meant for Manipur is being transported on the Imphal-Dimapur road which is in gross violation of the rules of tenders for ferrying FCS items like rice, the source said.
The tender called by the FCI regional office, Assam mentioned the route for ferrying the goods as Imphal via Jiribam, the source told IFP.
But the agency which has been awarded with the contract has violated the rules and guidelines of tender by carrying goods on NH 2 route through Dimapur these days. FCI awarded the tender due to the low rates quoted by `MOTWA agency` but it has not taken any actions even after complaints of the violation of the rules of tender by the agency have been raised, it added.
Their intension is to neglect the NH 37 permanently which the people and transporters of the State have been trying to upgrade and keep in an all-weather condition, it opined.
As the agency has deposited the goods at Dimapur after ferrying them on NH-2, trucks of the State have to return empty- handed from Jiribam. The State`™s trucks stranded at Jiribam have not been getting any loads for transporting to Manipur, the source added.
The transporters have appealed to the state government to intervene and stop the wrong practice of ferrying items on Dimapur Road instead of Jagi Road, Assam via Jiribam to Imphal.
They added that the agency which received the tenders for ferrying FCI items have not used the State`™s trucks citing problems of ransom and illegal tax on Manipur trucks by people of Nagaland.