Lamka, Jun 17: Zomi Economic Planning and Development Agency has prevailed upon the government to urgently streamline the district's Public Distribution System and endow the people of its legitimate facilities provided by the centre.

In a representation submitted to the Chief Minister and Commissioner, Food & Civil Supplies, the Agency detailed anomalies of PDS in the district and alleged that the farmers are perennially deprived of any such facilities.

Although 11 PDS/PDSC's were identified and four FCS godowns established in the district no benefit could be expected or derived from them so far, it alleged, adding no stock was ever placed at these godowns.

Such discrepancies exists despite monthly food grain allocations earmarked to the tune of 2739.45 quintals and 1619.00 quintals under BPL and AAY categories.

Highlighting miseries of rural tribals in the absence PDS contrary to vast avenues for viable and available alternatives such as horticulture, animal husbandry, community farming and other cash crops the statement said, they have no option but to continue their jhumming/shifting cultivation, destroying vast tracts of forest yearly only for the return to be of low proportion, if not hardly any.

With some of the district's zone now being hit by cyclical bamboo flowering impeding traditional reliance upon paddy cultivation, the agency suggested that the government declare existing CCpur godowns as Nodal Public Distribution Centre and store foodgrains that may be lifted directly from Dimapur or Aizawl.

The agency also pointed out alternative route for procuring foodgrains in order to side-step frequent bandhs and strikes along NH 39 & 53 even as it recommended inclusion of transportation cost within the cost of foodgrains, if the need arise.

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