The “economic blockade” by people of Assam’s Barak Valley is unlikely to hit essential commodities supply in Mizoram as the state government has facilitated the transportation of fuel and other essential commodities from Tripura and Manipur, said a minister.
Apart from Assam, Mizoram shares inter-state border with Manipur (95 km) and Tripura (66 km).
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Mizoram food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister K. Lalrinliana on Thursday said the state government has begun transporting petrol and diesel from Tripura from Wednesday.
“Some oil tankers are expected to arrive in the state capital from Tripura by Friday. We will also send seven oil tankers and another four trucks to transport LPG from Tripura’s capital Agartala on Friday,” he said.
He said the Mizoram government has reached an agreement with the authorities of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in Tripura to transport rice for the state.
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“As of now, we have sufficient rice stocks for at least three months. Other essential commodities are also coming in and some traders from Tripura have already entered Mizoram,” he said.
He said the state government is currently in talks with the Manipur government to facilitate transportation of essential commodities especially LPG and other fuels.
Mizoram is currently under lockdown due to Covid19.
Also read: Assam Government advises people from state not to travel to Mizoram
Lalrinliana said there is no report of essential commodities crisis in the state till date despite the blockade staged in neighbouring Assam.
“There is no bandh or blockade in Mizoram and heavy trucks and other vehicles, manned especially by non-tribals, are uninterruptedly moving towards Assam non-stop,” he said.
He said, “No vehicles have entered the state from Assam in the past two days.”
Also read: Mizoram alleges massive ‘mobilization’ of armed forces by Assam along inter-state border
The minister said the government is making massive efforts to ensure that people don’t face any essential commodities crisis.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Mizoram government had written to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking its intervention to lift economic blockade on the National Highway-306 in Assam.
NH-306 is the lifeline of Mizoram linking the northeastern state with the rest of the country through Assam’s Silchar.
“Unknown miscreants from Assam have destroyed and removed railway tracks at Mohammedpur and Ramnathpur railway stations in Assam’s Hailakandi district, the only railway line connecting Bairabi railway station in Mizoram’s Kolasib district,” the letter said.
However, Assam denied that there was any economic blockade in the state.
Also read: A deep insight into Assam-Mizoram border row
Mizoram Merchant Association (MIMA), an umbrella body of 25 merchant associations in Mizoram on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention for immediate construction of uprooted railway tracks in Assam that links to Mizoram.
On Wednesday, a 12-hour bandh was observed in Assam’s Barak Valley comprising three districts – Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj with which Mizoram shares about 164.6 km border, in protest against the killing of six cops and a civilian from Assam in a violent clash over border dispute on Monday.