India urges BD to allow sea route for its grain shipment

NEW DELHI: India has asked Bangladesh to permit a shipment of 35,000 tonnes of PDS foodgrains every month via sea route in view of difficulty to be faced from October with the start of gauge conversion work in North East, reports online indiatimes.com Sunday.
"During a recent visit to Bangladesh, we requested it to allow transportation of 35,000 tonnes of PDS foodgrains every month via sea route to the north eastern states," a senior Food Ministry official said.
A trial run to see the practicality of shipping has already been undertaken. The first shipment of 5,000 tonnes of rice has already reached Agartala from Visakhapattanam, Andhra Pradesh via Ashuganj port in Bangladesh, the official said, adding that another vessel of 5,000 tonnes will be followed.
From October 1, there will megablock of railways at Lumding in Assam for gauge conversion work affecting foodgrains movement. The shipment of foodgrains via Bangladesh would help ease burden of transporting via roadways.
The government supplies monthly about 0.1 million tonnes of PDS foodgrains to the north eastern states -- Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and Assam. Of which, 60 per cent is transported via railways and the rest through roadways.
The official said that efforts are being made to transport more grains via roadways but not much load can be pushed due to poor condition of highways in the region.
Road movement has started from new rail terminals at Baihata and Jagi road in Assam. Foodgrains to Manipur are being supplied from Furkating Railhead in Assam, he added.