Control rice price : PPCM

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jun 17: Demanding the State Government to take up necessary steps to resolve the hike in price of rice in the State, People's Protection and Preservation Committee Manipur (PPCM) has warned that it along with the people, will launch stringent agitation if the Government fails to do so.
Speaking to media persons at PPCM office at Waheng Leikai today, its convenor N Bimol said that the price off rice has skyrocketed and sometimes, the people are even finding it hard to get rice in the market.
Stating the prices of indigenous rice and superfine rice in the market are Rs 50 and Rs 30-35 respectively, he said what worries the people the most is the non availability of indigenous rice even in the rice mills of the localities.
He then alleged that the Chamber of Commerce, which is responsible for monitoring the price of commodities, has failed to perform its duties and added that even the need to constitute a Price Fixation Committee has been sidelined by the Government.
Normally by June, many of the fields in the State should be covered with paddy but this year, due to lack of rainfall, most of the fields bear empty looks, he added.
But despite all these hardships faced by the people, the State Government not done anything to ease the suffering of the farmers.
Bimol continued that in recent years, many buildings and establishments have been constructed in the fields present every year, around 2000 pari of fields are being encroached upon.
On the other hand, even though the State Assembly passed the Manipur Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2014, till date there has been no attempt to stop such construction on the paddy fields, he alleged.
The Government constantly assures the people that it will provide triple cropping opportunities by virtue of the Thoubal multipurpose project, Dolaithabi barrage etc but instead of any positive developments, the paddy fields of the State are gradually disappearing.
If the Government fails to take up necessary steps to solve the rice crisis, PPCM and the people will launch intense agitation, he warned.