AGARTALA, August 7 (TIWN): The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) would start mega block in the Lumding-Badarpur segment from October 1, leaving the rest of the segment in Lumding-Badarpur-Silchar-Agartala to be taken up later, Chief Secretary G Kameshwara Rao today said after video conference with cabinet secretary and Chief Secretaries of Assam, Manipur and Mizoram.
Speaking to reporters later at the civil secretariat today, Chief Secretary G Kameshwara Rao said that the state required 30,000 MT foodgrains on an average every month.

The state has an installed capacity of storing 90,000 MT foodgrains; it currently has a stock of 53,000 MT. While the state would require foodgrains proportionately with its PDS consumers for the next two months, the state government would need to induct over 1 lakh MT foodgrains including the 37,000 MT idle storage capacity by the next 50 days, Chief Secretary Rao said.

 He said that the central government was requested to approve at least 42 wagons of foodgrain in lieu of 20 wagons supplied currently to boost the induction amount till the mega block was in place. The cabinet secretary assured him that the issue would be duly considered. On a separate issue, Chief Secretary G Kameshwara Rao said that the National Highway 44 would need to bear the load of at least 10,000 vehicles every day after the rail services were stalled from October this year.

The Ministry of Transport is currently assessing the situation; transport situation in the region would be reviewed after the next three weeks as concerned state governments of the NE region analyzed the condition, Chief Secretary Rao said.

He further said that the cabinet secretary and officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) ruled out requests of regularizing transport of foodgrains through Bangladesh after the first consignment of rice started entering Tripura through the Akhaura International Check Post (ICP) today. Foodgrains of the consignment would continue to be transported to the state for the next 15 days.