Six-month rail block to hit food supply to Northeast

“The state government and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) together have a storage capacity for only 90 days. We have also requested Assam and Meghalaya governments to ensure smooth movement of trucks through the two states,” Bandopadhyaya told The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has learnt to have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure smooth shipment of foodgrain through Bangladesh.

Tripura and Mizoram are worried about frequent bandhs in Assam and Meghalaya, and poor condition of the highways.

In Mizoram, food and civil supplies commissioner R Lalvena said the state was looking forward to import rice from Myanmar.

“Tenders are being opened for supply Tuesday and we expect a smoother supply from the neighbouring country soon,” Lalvena told The Indian Express. For Mizoram, which requires 1,300 tonnes of rice per month, importing from Myanmar will be cheaper and quicker, he added.

Meanwhile, the last train on the metre gauge section, the Hill Queen, chugged out of Haflong, Assam’s only hill station located in the Barail mountain range, at 1.45 pm Monday. Railway officials and locals gathered at the station — that will not see any train again — to bid her a farewell.