Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 11 2009:
Expressing that many gangs having no ideology and discipline, state Food and Civil Supply Minister, Y Irabot today announced that he is not a man who will bow to the diktat of the outlawed organisations or surrender to them under any circumstance.
Speaking at a press conference held at his office chamber at the Ministers' block of the New Secretariat building, FCS Minister Y Irabot gave the reply of the diktat of the underground outfit United People's Party of Kangleipak (UPPK) to hand over a sum of Rs 3 crore meant for the APL which the outfit alleged misappropriated in the state FCS department.
He also said that without giving hard evidence of the misappropriation of the funds, it will be wrong to make charges against the concern authority.
If they (he referred to UPPK) alleged of misappropriation, they should have talk with him, may be over his mobile phone which is always keep open, he added.
He also observed that the charge has been leveled against him as since he took the charge of the department, many wrong doers could not get advantage of taking benefits.
As such they are trying to tarnish his image.
Erabot further said that by rectifying the earlier unfair practices in the department, he is trying his best to improve the public distribution system (PDS) so that every beneficiary could get the PDS items well in time.
With regard to the report non-availability of the PDS items in August last year, he had asked the FCS director to make inquiry into the matter for the second time on February 5 last.
If the inquiry report could not be a satisfactory one, then, it will be handed over to the vigilance commission for further investigation, the minister added.
APL rice quota of the PDS are not utilizing at the maximum, the minister observed and added that henceforth the department has planned to sell it out and with the amount from it, will be used in storing buffer stock of the other PDS rice for utilizing in the rainy season and at the time when the transportation on the NH-39 disturb by any other reasons like economic blockade, bandh and others.
FCS commissioner Budhachandra who also present in the press conference said that the funds for procuring PDS item from the Food Corporation of India is taken as loan from the Reserved Bank of India and the quota of rice under the scheme by the state is 21820 quintals.
Two of the three district supply officers who were released after taking into custody by the UPPK namely DSO, Imphal west, S Iboton and DSO, Bishnupur, Th Bumeshwar who were also present in the conference said that they secured released unharmed after they place the reality behind the APL rice.
They were not released after giving ransom, they clarified, they said adding that the abductors did not meted out any kinds of torture to them in their captivity.