Aizawl: In a significant boost to Mizoram’s food security, a major consignment of Food Corporation of India (FCI) rice arrived at Sairang Railway Station on Tuesday, officials said.
The shipment, consisting of 42 railway wagons carrying approximately 25,900 quintals of rice from Punjab, will be stored at the newly constructed FCI godown in Sairang, the largest facility of its kind in the state, they added.
The arrival was received by Rajya Sabha member and FCI Mizoram Consultative Chairman K. Vanlalvena, along with Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister B. Lalchhanzova.
Vanlalvena said that direct rail transport to Sairang will resolve long-standing delays in rice distribution. Previously, reliance on long-distance road transport often slowed the supply to various district godowns, he added.
“This new rail link is expected to streamline the entire process,” the MP said.
In the past, freight trains carrying rice were able to reach only up to Bairabi in Kolasib district near the Assam border.
Speaking on the occasion, Lalchhanzova hailed the event as a “landmark moment” for the state.
“The arrival of rice via rail at Sairang provides much-needed stock security as we head into the monsoon season,” he said.
The Minister stated that Mizoram’s monthly requirement is 97,000 quintals, of which 55,000 quintals are received from the FCI, with 41,000 quintals provided free of cost. The remaining quantity is purchased through the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) (Domestic) at Rs. 830 per quintal, he added.
He also said that efforts are currently underway to procure higher-quality rice.
With the operationalization of the Bairabi–Sairang route, Sairang Railway Station will now serve as the primary hub for rice destined for FCI godowns in Aizawl, as well as for south Mizoram’s Lunglei and Lawngtlai districts, according to Lalchhanzova.
The Bairabi Railway Station will continue to handle supplies for the northern districts of the state, he added.