Imphal, February 14 2009: Continuing its tirade against the Food and Civil Supplies (FCS) Minister Y Erabot whom the proscribed United peoples' party of Kangleipak (UPPK) alleged to be responsible for malpractices rampant in the FCS Department the armed group contended that it would take necessary measures to cleanse the Department of all wrongs.

Moreover, the outfit warned the Minister, Commissioner (FCS) S Budhachandra and a Thangal Bazar trader Santosh Godwal of undesired consequences in case UPPK's directive is not honoured at the earliest, according to a statement issued today by the assistant secretary in-charge, District Committee Member (DCM), information and Publicity Department of the UPPK Khuman Laishramcha.

The spat between the Minister and the outfit had been persisting for some days with the UPPK accusing Y Erabot of being responsible for the general public denied their due share to APL rice which the Minister strongly refuted saying in a recent media briefing that FCS's involvement in the distribution of the essential food item is minimal.

Reacting to the Minister's assertion that Deputy Commissioners concerned with the authorisation of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) directly deals with the APL rice distribution, Laishramcha claimed that in due course of time veracity of Erabot's claims would be established as district level collection of relevant information is underway.

Consequent upon Y Erabot becoming the FCS Minister from November 2007 till date additional amount of Rs 26 to the prescribed sum of Rs 830 per quintal is being levied against the district quota of procuring APL rice while the individual levy stands at Rs 55, the DCM statement reiterated and posed such a practice had been in force only under Erabot (Minister) and Budhachandra (Commissioner) .

Mockingly questioning whether the additional charges are being levied as transport cost from the FCS godown to the adjacent FCI storage structure, laishramcha also highlighted that 95 percent of APL quotas for respective districts and individuals are procured from the FCI godown.

In case Erabot claims to be innocent on the UPPK charges the Minister ought to clearly state (monthly basis) for public information the total quantity of APL rice procured in between November 2007 and November 2008, specify monthly quantity provided to the para-military and individuals, the UPPK insisted.

Further opining that Erabot's recent policy to maintain buffer stock from the APL quota of the State is a mere eyewash to cover up siphoning of 50/60 truckload of APl rice and other essential items in the black market, the assistant secretary in-charge alleged that the Minister in collusion with S Budhachandra had on January this year traded off 1000 quintal of sugar out of a total of 3000 quintal from the December 2008 quota.

Elaborating further on the accusation, Laishramcha said with the Minister insisting on 1000 quintal out of the total sugar allocation under the pretext of mobile sale only 100 quintal was distributed in the constituency from where Erabot was elected with the remaining quantity traded off to a Thangal bazar trader.

Identifying the trader as Santosh Godwal, the UPPK functionary maintained that one Chingabam Amuba of Khurai Thangjam Leikai Chingabam Leirak, who is the driver cum PA of the Minister, along with security team allotted to Y erabot had on january 2009 escorted the sugar quantity to the said trader.

Clarifying to all concerned that the UPPK's insistence upon the Minister and Commissioner (FCS) to handover Rs 3 crore to the armed organisation is not monetary demand but to reclaim the lost amount siphoned off as margin money from the APL rice quota meant for the State public, UPPK also remarked that all the amount allegedly pocketed by the Minister from the buffer stock policy would be demanded in due course of time.

The Minister and Commissioner have also been served deadline of February 17 to handover Rs 3 crore while Santosh Godwal has been asked to surrender within three days.

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