Agartala, September 13 (TIWN): Food Corporation of India Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) C Vishwanath today met Chief Secretary G Kameshwara Rao and other officials of the state government as a part of the assessment across all NER states ahead of the NFR Mega Block.

A delegation of the FCI comprising of FCI CMD C Viswanath and Executive Director (NER) Pinuel Basumatary met the Chief Secretary at civil secretariat here alongwith other officials of the Department of Food and Civil Supplies.

Speaking to reporters after conclusion of the meeting, FCI regional head Basumatary said that the authorities are now working a contingency plan to ensure full operation of foodgrain induction into states of the region even after the NFR Mega Block sets in from October 01 onwards this year.

The official said that stress was being laid on securing more induction through truckloads directly from our Broad-Gauge railheads at Baihata, Jagiroad and Sangsari.

“We have also discussed about plans to increase foodgrain transportation from Guwahati to the Barak Valley to make sure Tripura and Mizoram suffered no scarcity of foodgrains in the entire duration of the mega block”, he said.

Asked about plans of inducting foodgrains through Bangladesh after the ongoing transit of 10,000 MT rice from Andhra Pradesh en route inland waterways of Bangladesh, the official said that there were no plans of further extending the transit as yet.

“The transit of foodgrains through Bangladesh was a one-time thing”, Basumatary said. He added that truckloads carrying foodgrains from the railheads to states of the NER states would be increased to facilitate better foodgrain transportation.