AIZAWL: Supply of essential commodities to the state is being severely hit over the past few days with hundreds of vehicles being stranded on National Highway 54 - the lifeline to Mizoram. Reports said about 600 vehicles carrying food grains, oil and cooking gas have been stranded for several days due to bad road condition on the stretch between Kawnpui and Khamrang. NH-54 links the Mizoram Aizawl with Silchar in Assam. Of the 10 LPG distributors in the state, only three are being able to supply LPG cylinders to consumers in a very limited quantity while petrol and diesel are available at only a handful of petrol pumps in the Mizoram capital. Aizawl has a total of 12 petrol pumps. The state food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department issued an appeal to the public to resort to austerity measure, particularly with regard to cooking gas, as different reasons have been attributed to the shortage of LPG supply. Non-arrival of consumer items has created severe problems for the common people as essential commodities including milk, onion, edible oil and potato have run out of stock at grocery stores in the state capital. The prices of building materials have also skyrocketed. While the price of cement have gone up from Rs 400/ bag to Rs 480/ bag, price of sand has also gone through the roof. The state governments failure to control prices coupled with large scale hoarding of essential commodities by unscrupulous traders have resulted in the steep rise in prices of all commodities throughout the state. The opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) alleged that the contractor of the NH-54, the Assam-based Anupam Bricks and Concrete Industries Limited (ABCIL) owned by Jodhraj Baid, a close friend of state chief minister Lalthanhawla. An MNF press statement accused the chief minister of giving undue favour to the contractor. The MNF has also alleged that the contractor concerned did not follow the instructions of the engineers of the state PWD because of his association with Lalthanhawla. The fact that the work, which began in 2009, was scheduled to be completed by April 2011. However, the contractor even after using sub-standard material could not complete the work till date, the statement said. The MNF statement also alleged that contractor was given additional Rs 52 crore above the original estimate. Drivers of vehicles carrying supplies stranded in the highway for days said they were facing acute shortage of food stuff as prices of rice have shot up to Rs 60 per kilo and a 250 gram pack of dal costs Rs 50.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 06:48:11 +0000
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