MOREH, March 22 – Though, the Centre has given the go ahead for promotion of Indo-Myanmar bilateral trade and agreed in principle for construction of a Food and Civil Supply godown at Moreh, India’s gateway to the south east Asian countries, the cash strapped Manipur government is unable to translate it into action.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs had sanctioned Rs 58 lakh to construct a 1250 metric ton capacity Food and Civil Supply godown at Moreh of which 50 per cent is in the form of subsidy while the rest is in the form of a loan. However, the Centre released only Rs 35 lakh after deducting Rs 21 lakh because of the state government’s failure to clear the loan availed for constructing the godown at Sangaiprou, Imphal.
Manipur Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pheiroijam Parijat said that since the state government is not in a position to construct the godown at Moreh with only Rs 35 lakh, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has been requested not to slash the Rs 21 lakh. But, there is as yet no reply from the Centre on the request. If the Centre refuses to entertain the request of the State government then the capacity of the godown may be reduced to 800 tons.
Talking to this correspondent, the Minister said that the godown is for storage of imported items from Myanmar to the state through Moreh. Manipur is at present facing shortage of rice although it produced about five lakh metric tonnes a year against the requirement of six lakh metric tonnes for a population of 24 lakh. The requirement has been supplied by the Central government through Food Corporation of India, Imphal branch. However, mendicant Manipur state has been facing more difficulties in production of the clean rice.
So, import of clean rice from Myanmar is necessitated in the light of shortage of food particularly rice in the north eastern states in general and Manipur in particular. Rice importied from across the border through Moreh will make a supplement in the requirement of the NE states having a population of around 40 million people who have been facing shortage of clean rice from time to time.
Though, Myanmar with a population of around 50 million, is one of the poorest countries in the world, it has surplus rice production. There are four varieties of high quality rice in Myanmar - tali, mobi, porshan and tenkishan. Of these, the last two varieties of rice have more demand and also illegally exported by the smugglers into India through the porous Manipur-Myanmar border particularly in Moreh sector. Moreover, these varieties of rice are made available at low prices in comparison to the rice selling in the markets in the north eastern region particularly in Manipur.
Although, bilateral trade between the two countries started at Moreh in April 12, 1995, rice is not included in the 28 listed items which are enforced in barter mechanism. So, the State and Central governments in conjunction with the Myanmarese counterpart have been vouching for inclusion of rice in the bilateral trade between the two countries.