Imphal, August 20: Even as the State is facing the grim prospect of a famine next year, thanks to the acute shortage of fertilizers, a number of MLAs, cutting across party lines, have exposed their true colours fighting over the spoils of the fertilizers and way laying the fertilizers laden trucks while on the way to Imphal.

Out of 8 Urea laden trucks which were heading for Imphal yesterday, two have reportedly done the disappearing act, leaving no clues whatsoever.

What has made matter worse is that no one knows the registration number of the two trucks or the identity of the dealers.

The 8 trucks were on their way to Imphal from the Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizers Co-operative, Namarup in Assam.

Disturbed by the report, Agriculture Minister Ph Parijat is set to visit the fertilizer factory tomorrow, said an officer from the State Agriculture Department.

Adding another twist, out of the remaining six trucks, only two have made it to the campus of the 2nd IRB.

While two trucks were way laid while they were passing through the Constituency of the Chief Minister another two trucks were taken away by the security escort of an MLA at Sekmai.

Two Urea laden trucks were also way laid and taken away by the security escort of an MLA at Sekmai today.

A dealer disclosed to The Sangai Express that Ministers and MLAs have been sharing the fertilizers among themselves after making the fertilizers laden trucks report at Kangla.

Such practices have left the dealers deeply disappointed, he added.

The Government is primarily responsible for the acute shortage of fertilizers, he said and added that even after nearly 10 days of the economic blockade being lifted, the situation has not improved at all.

Ministers and MLAs have let loose their security escort on NH-39 to way lay the fertilizers laden trucks and take them anywhere they want, he charged.

Most of the trucks carry 360 bags of fertilizers.

The truckers are made to cough up Re 1 for each bag at the office of the Assistant Fertilizer Officer located near Chingmeirong-Nagaram, he said and added that despite the charge being only Re 1 per bag, each truck has to pay Rs 400 for their consignments.

All fertilizers laden trucks are made to report at the complex of the 2nd IRB or Kangla.

There the trucks are made to stay for a day or two and the fertilizers are forcibly taken away in the name of Ministers and MLAs without consulting the dealers, he added.

During a meeting with Agriculture Minister Ph Parijat on August 17, the Government asked the dealers to sell one bag of Urea for Rs 380 instead of Rs 400.The Minister assured that the Government will make up the Rs 20 per bag, he said and added that the assurance is yet to be translated into action till date.

With Ministers and MLAs adopting the ingenious method of way laying fertilizers trucks on the way, a large number of the people's representatives have started squabbling among themselves over the spoils of Urea, said a well placed source.

To ensure that fertilizers are made adequately available to the farmers, Agriculture Minister Ph Parijat is set to visit Namarup tomorrow along with his officials.

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