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16 food stores to open in Manipur today: Shah
Of the 16 such stores, eight will be in the valley and the remaining eight in the hills, he said, apart from the existing 21 such bhandars
Union minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the ministry of home affairs will open 16 new Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandars in Manipur to provide essential commodities to civilians at reasonable prices from Tuesday.
Of the 16 such stores, eight will be in the valley and the remaining eight in the hills, he said, apart from the existing 21 such bhandars.
In a post on X, Shah said that in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment, the MHA is launching the initiative to provide commodities to the people of Manipur at reasonable prices.
“Now the Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandars will be opened for common people from September 17, 2024. In addition to 21 existing Bhandars, 16 new ones will be opened. Among the 16 new centres, eight will be in the valley, and the remaining eight in the hills,” he said.
Over the 16 months during which the ethnic violence in the state has refused to ebb, prices of different commodities across both hills and valleys have skyrocketed because of the road blockades by different groups in several parts. Security forces provide a security convoy to trucks carrying essential items on NH-37 and NH-2, respectively, coming to the state. There have been many instances of trucks bringing such items coming under attack from the militants. In April this year, militants fired at fuel trucks that were carrying fuel to Imphal.
The Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandar (KPKB) system was launched as a welfare measure by MHA in 2006. Serving and retired personnel of central armed police forces, central police organisations and state police forces and their family members across India are the beneficiaries of KPKB. The items at the KPKB are cheaper than the market rate.
