CM talks to Centre, directs officers to make ground plan to cope with bandh

Gangtok: A meeting was held at Mintokgang Monday morning under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Dr. Pawan Chamling, to review the stock position of essential commodities in the State and devise ways and means to replenish the depleted stock of various items resulting from the ongoing indefinite strike called by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) in Darjeeling Hills.

The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary, Mr. N.D.Chingapa, Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Finance Secretary, Home Secretary, Development Commissioner, Food Secretary, Managing Director, STCS, Principal Secretary, and Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister. 

In the meeting, concerned officers apprised the Chief Minister about the State’s storage capacity of Motor Spirit and High-Speed Diesel which are 255 KL and 875 KL respectively, enough to last only two days, 780 KL of Kerosene Oil to last only for 3 days and 10,700 MT of Wheat/Rice (including PDS & Open) in FCI godown and almost equivalent capacity in the State food godowns, enough to last 2 months.

The Chief Minister, who had already telephonically discussed the latest situation arising out of the indefinite bandh called by the GJM with the Union Home Minister, Mr. Shivraj Patel on June 22 and 23 followed by an official letter, directed the concerned officers to take advantage of the relaxation in the bandh and also arrange the stocks of essential commodities to its full capacity when the Union Home Minister is seized of the matter with his total concern. He also asked the officers to work out the modalities to put the operational mechanism in the ground to ensure the continuous flow of essential commodities even after the resumption of the bandh.

In this connection, it may be noted that the Chief Minister had also requested the Union Home Minister to take all necessary steps at the earliest including the issue of explicit, unambiguous, and workable instructions to the Government of West Bengal and the Army to ensure regular flow of traffic along 31 A National Highway so that supplies of essential commodities to the State are ensured and the people do not feel a sense of alienation, particularly in view of the recent developments in North Sikkim.

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