IMPHAL, May 26: Even as the National Food Security Act (NFSA) has been launched in the State, FCI Imphal Office has asked the FCI Zonal Office, Guwahati General Manager not to send Manipur’s quota of rice for sometime as they are facing immense difficulties in storing rice at Imphal godowns.
Speaking to some media persons today, FCI Imphal Area Manager N Nandakishore said that there is additional buffer stock of rice at godowns for two months and eight days. The State’s rice quota for the month of March has been stored in godowns but the quota for April could not be unloaded from 27 trucks for lack of space.
The total capacity for the FCI godowns located at Sangaiprou, Koirengei, Ukhrul, Jiribam and Senapati is 26884 metric tonnes. Against this total capacity, 31066 metric tonnes of rice have been somehow stocked at these godowns.
Moreover, there is a buffer stock of 68 metric tonnes for a period of two months and eight days and 1429 metric tonnes of rice are on the way to Imphal.
In view of the lack of space for storing rice, FCI Imphal Deputy General Manager (R) has written to the FCI Guwahati Zonal Office not to send the State’s quota of rice starting from May. Once the NFSA is fully implemented, the State Government should be procuring 11796 metric tonnes of rice from FCI godowns every month.
As the State Government could not procure the full quantity of rice for the month of April till May 22, 665 metric tonnes of rice lapsed.
