TURA: Widespread panic buying of essential commodities during the last few days and subsequent lockdown across the state and country has fuelled a shortage of some essential items here with reports of shortage of rice, lentils and cooking oil stock surfacing in many parts of the Garo Hills districts.
“Yes there is shortage of dal and cooking oil in Tura but we are making provisions already. We have started with supply of rations, particularly fresh vegetables in different localities from today,” announced West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh while speaking to The Shillong Times on Friday evening.
The deputy commissioner has also been made the nodal officer to oversee the supply of essential commodities from Assam.
In recent days, traders in Tura have been apprehensive about the stock availability of three main essential food items – rice, lentils (dal) and mustard cooking oil, used extensively by a majority of the town’s population. The sudden and dramatic announcement by the prime minister to call for an entire lockdown of the country within three hours had given little or no time for traders and wholesalers to stock up on commodities.
While the deputy commissioner has allayed fears of a shortfall in rice stock in Tura citing availability of a buffer stock, elsewhere reports have been coming in of shortages, particularly in the rural areas.
“Rice in the open market is low because of a problem in the neighbouring state. Trains carrying rice and other food items have reached Guwahati but there are no labourers to lift the stock from the wagons. The issue has been taken up with the Assam government,” informed East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Swapnil Tembe.
Meanwhile, shortages of food stock have also been reported from Adokgre, Wageasi, Dainadubi, Raja Apal, Depa, Rari, Mendal and Kharkutta in North Garo Hills.
Acknowledging the shortage issue, North Garo Hills DC SC Sadhu said that rice from the buffer stock would be made available for distribution in the affected areas by Saturday morning.
“We have the buffer stock from the Food Corporation of India and it will be given out from 8 am to 12 noon,” Sadhu said.
A day after widespread public gathering and panic buying across the region, Friday witnessed a more disciplined movement of people coming out to purchase groceries in different towns and villages.
“People adhered to social distancing by keeping safe distance from one another while queuing up at grocery stores,” revealed district officials.
