FCI To Engage Private Players For Procurement in The Northeast India

States in the region told to prepare road map to take a final call, sustainable policy support needed to make operation viable
By Dilip Kumar Jha

Mumbai, Feb 25 : Faced with insufficient storage facility, the government might engage private warehouses for foodgrains procurement in north-eastern states either independently or on behalf of state agencies.

Acting on the recommendations of the high-level committee (HLC) of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), chairman C Viswanath convened a meeting of state secretaries of the north-eastern states and a couple of private players in the warehousing sector on February 17. In the meeting, they were asked to draw a road map on how to reach out to farmers for foodgrain procurement to prevent distress sale. The state governments are to give their plan to FCI by Wednesday.

According to sources, state secretaries were convinced enough on the need to engage private warehouses to commence minimum support price (MSP) operations (to buy foodgrains at MSP), considering the inadequate storage facility of FCI and state governments in the region, which produces 40 per cent of India’s foodgrains. Private players also presented their plans.

“West Bengal would welcome private players to increase the reach of benefits of MSP to the small and marginal farmers,” said state principal secretary (food), Anil Verma.

Most large farmers in the north-eastern regions, including a part of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha execute distress sale at the time of harvesting foodgrains, resulting into the middlemen building stocks when prices are low to sell on highs, thus, creating price arbitrage.

“We have some instances of distress sell in this region. However, agriculture being a state subject, the onus lies with the state governments to engage private-sector warehouses to start MSP operations on their behalf. We do not have any problem if state governments engage private players. In case private players are engaged, they will be allowed only for procurement. Transportation and distribution to the public distribution system will be controlled by respective states,” said an FCI official.

Since FCI does not have adequate storage facility, the public-sector foodgrains procurement agency does not execute any MSP operations on its own, thereby leaving no options for farmers to sell their produce. Only one crop is grown in most fields in the region due to lack of irrigation system against three crops in other agriculture-centric states. Hence, the region holds immense potential for further growth in foodgrains.

“The eastern states have a huge potential for procurement of foodgrains. That is one region that can trigger a second green revolution,” said former Agricultural Costs and Prices head Ashok Gulati, a member of the HLC formed in August last year to resolve its functional inefficiencies.

Private-sector warehouses have been active in this region for the past several years, holding massive stocks of foodgrains on behalf of their corporate or bank clients. They have proved to be cost-efficient, too.

“We suggested that the private sector could work as an agent of FCI without compromising on providing MSP to the farmers and preserving the quality of the grain. We have emphasised on the need to identify and select only credible private-sector players who would agree to make payments to farmers on account payee cheques /online transfer and who have good corporate governance practices and past experience. The agency should be selected geography-wise in a competitive transparent framework. This can cut down transport costs, provide MSP to farmers in the unserved areas and introduce efficiencies along the entire food value chain. In the poorly-served states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand, private-sector warehouses can play a very important role,” said Sanjay Kaul, managing director and chief executive officer, National Collateral Management Services.

For sustainable procurement, however, the government should draw a long-term road map and allow private players at least for four years to make operation viable, Kaul noted.

MUTUAL BENEFITS

• The north-eastern region produces 40 per cent of India’s foodgrains
   
• The FCI and the state governments are faced with inadequate storage facility there
   
• To tackle this insufficiency, government might engage private warehouses for foodgrains procurement, either independently or on behalf of state agencies
   
• Most farmers in the north-eastern regions execute distress sale at the time of harvesting foodgrains
   
• This results in the middlemen building stocks when prices are low to sell on highs, thus, creating price arbitrage
   
• FCI conducted a meeting with state secretaries and private players and asked them to draw a road map on how to reach out to farmers for foodgrain procurement to prevent them from distress sale

Mizoram Rural Polls: 10% Lesser Voters

By Adam Halliday

Aizawl, Feb 24 : In less than two months, Mizoram will face rural body polls that are unprecedented in several ways; the new bodies will have an extended term of five years while seats will be reserved for women for the first time in such elections. However, the more unusual thing is that the number of voters has decreased by a remarkable 10 percent.

As the State Election Commission initiated a mass review of the electoral rolls for village council election and released new rolls this month, it was found that there are 10 percent lesser voters compared to the 2012 polls.

“Earlier the Village Council seats were allotted based on the number of households in each village. The figures would be drawn up by Circle Assistants after consultation with the VCs. Apparently they would not only quote the higher number of households, but also make some young adults eligible voters without cross-checking their ages whenever villagers said they had reached 18,” said H Darzika, SEC secretary.

The new VC rolls have been based on the latest electoral rolls of the Election Commission of India, which was updated on January 1, 2015.

For example, in eastern Champhai town, one VC area with just 70-odd households was marked as having 200. In Aibawk, a village just 30 kms south of  the state capital Aizawl, the old VC rolls had 1053 voters while the ECI rolls had just 950. In Kolasib town, in the north, the VC rolls had 3000 more voters than the ECI’s rolls.

Swine Flu Cases Cross 14,000, 832 Deaths Reported

India reported 20 swine flu (H1N1 virus) deaths on Sunday, taking the death toll to 832 even as the number of cases crossed 14,000.

On Saturday, 38 deaths were reported, the highest number of swine flu deaths in a single day this year.

In 2014, India had 937 swine flu cases and 218 deaths.

This year, Rajasthan is the worst hit, with more than 4,000 cases and 200 deaths have been reported.

Delhi and Gujarat have had more than 2,000 cases each in less than two months.

The Drug Controller General of India G N Singh has directed all states to set up a ‘Swine flu drugs availability monitoring cell’ with a designated officer to monitor there are no drug and vaccine shortages even as some states like Kashmir reported vaccine shortages.

All chemists have also been asked to prominently display availability of medicines.

Experts maintain that H1N1 virus is no more deadlier than last year cases and deaths are being reported simply because more people getting tested and diagnosed. Most deaths are among people over 40 years.

While infection appears to be waning in Telangana, new states such as Jammu and Kashmir are reporting cases.

Kashmir
With one more H1N1 virus infected patient dying on Sunday night, the total number of swine flu deaths in Jammu and Kashmir rose to six on Monday while the number of infected people went up to 120.

"One more H1N1 infected patient died yesterday (Sunday)," Parvaiz Koul, pulmonary disease specialist at the super-specialty Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, where eight people are currently being treated.

"We have provided sufficient medicines and preventive advisories to the families of patients being treated at home, which include using a face mask and washing hands and cleaning surfaces frequently," he added. "The most important precaution is to avoid social and religious gatherings during these days.”

Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh, which has reported 280 cases and six deaths since January 1, has enough medicines in stock, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan informed the State Assembly on Monday.

State capital Lucknow is the worst hit, reporting 228 of the 280 cases from across the state. "There is no need to panic due to swine flu. Those who are saying hundreds have died due to disease are wrong. We have made all the arrangements to deal with it and have sufficient amount of medicines,” said Khan.

The minister said this after the swine flu issue was raised on the assembly floor by BJP suresh Suresh Kumar Khanna ,as the House met, who demanded a statement from the government on rising cases of the virus in the state.
         
West Bengal
Five persons have succumbed to swine flu in West Bengal, with 67 testing positive for it, state Minister for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya told the state Assembly today.

The minister said there is no shortage of medicines and testing kits at hospitals to tackle the spread of the H1N1 virus.

The health department is taking all necessary steps to control the spread of the disease and trying to spread awareness, she said, adding that the virus is not being spread through swine but through the air.

Mizoram
Mizoram has started swine-flu screening and testing all passengers arriving at Lengpui Airport after a woman arriving from Delhi tested positive on February 13.

All passengers arriving with cough and fever are being tested. Mizoram has had one swine flu case and no deaths.
The state Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme's Nodal Officer Pachuau Lalmalsawma said the screening was being conducted after obtaining permission from the Aviation department.

The IDSP officials will also start the screening people arriving in the state at the Mizoram-Assam border Vairengte town soon.

Am isolation ward to treat infection has been created at the Referral Hospital at Falkawn village near Aizawl and a special laboratory for testing has been set up at the Aizawl Civil Hospital.

India, Indonesian Troops Hunt For Insurgents in Mizoram

Sharing experiences in conduct of counter-terrorism and insurgency operations, troops of India and Indonesia participated in joint army exercises in Mizoram.

The exercise was aimed at building and promoting positive military-to-military relations between the armies of the two nations, defence officials said.

Exercise 'GARUDA SHAKTI-III' is the third one in the ongoing series of joint exercises between armies of India and Indonesia. Conducted for a period of 12 days, it ended on Saturday at the Counter Insurgency and JungleWarfareSchool in Mizoram's Vairengte.


The scope of the exercise included sharing experiences in counter terrorism and conduct of joint counter insurgency training at platoon level to neutralise terror threats.

The Indian Army was represented by troops from an Indian Infantry Battalion and Special Forces unit while personnel from 432 Battalion Kostrad Infantry (Airborne) and Gp I & Gp II of the Special Forces represented the Indonesian contingent.


The joint training was aimed at enhancing knowledge of each other's military experience, skills and techniques and thereby enhancing the aspect of interoperability and responsiveness to a common threat in the future, an army official said.

Scheduled Tribe Status To More Assam Communities Likely

By MANOJ ANAND

It is significant that 26 adivasi communities, which are going to be included in the schedule list of Assam, have Scheduled Tribe status in their respective place of origin. (Photo: PTI)

Guwahati, Feb 24 : In what may change course of politics in Assam, the ministry of home affairs is set to recommend tribal status for at least 26 communities of adivsis, like Munda, Oraon, Santhal and other tribals of Jaharkhand origin, mostly associated with the tea plantation industry of Assam.

Pointing out that 97 communities are listed as tea tribes in the state, authoritative security sources in the home ministry told this newspaper that most of them are listed as Other Backward Class (OBC) at their respective place of origin so all in the list of tea tribes of Assam can’t be granted ST status.

Disclosing that Cabinet memorandum has already been prepared to include 26 adivsis in the schedule list of Assam, authoritative security sources said that the ministry has also forwarded the report of a parliamentary committee in 2002 to the tribal affairs ministry which proposed to include tribal groups — Tai Ahom, Moran, Motok, Koch-Rajbongshis, and Chutia with adivsis in the schedule list.

It is significant that 26 adivasi communities, which are going to be included in the schedule list of Assam, have Scheduled Tribe status in their respective place of origin. The adivasis, which is known as tea tribes in Assam, comprising present and past plantation workers, have an estimated population of more than 60 lakhs in Assam.

However, due to sizeable presence of OBC workers in the tea-tribe community, the Adivasis of Jharkhand origin were deprived of getting the ST status which they have been accorded at their respective states of origin.

Clarifying that a parliamentary committee in 2002 had recommended the inclusion of these communities in the schedule list of Assam, security sources said that home ministry has already started the process.

6 Mouth-Watering Recipes From Northeast India

By Soma Das

The award-winning book, The Seven Sisters — Kitchen Tales from the North East, offers ample insight into the culinary traditions of India's north east region. We have picked up some recipes from the book for our readers

Mary's Chicken Soup for the Soul
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 kg chicken, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp slivered ginger
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 green chilli, kept whole (optional)
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
To garnish
A few sprigs of fresh coriander (optional)
Method
Wash the chicken and set aside.
Pour enough water into a pan to cover the chicken and bring to a boil on high heat.
Put in the chicken pieces, ginger, garlic and green chilli.
Add the turmeric powder and salt and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, till the chicken is tender and the soup is slightly thick. 
Add a few fresh coriander sprigs as garnish (optional).
> Serve hot by itself or with steamed rice.
 
Iromba

Ingredients
1 large potato, cut into cubes
100 gm cabbage leaves, shredded
100 gm French beans, trimmed, cut into 1” pieces
50 gm oyster mushrooms (optional)
1 tbsp + 1 tbsp mustard oil
50 gm dried prawns or dried fish
3-4 dried red chillies
1 large onion, minced
Salt to taste
To garnish
A few fresh coriander sprigs, chopped
1 small onion, cut into rings
Method
Put the potato, cabbage leaves, French beans and mushrooms in a pan. Pour in just enough water to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil on high heat. Continue to boil, till the vegetables are cooked. Remove from heat and drain. Set aside.• Heat 1 tbsp of mustard oil in a small pan and gently fry the dried seafood. Remove from heat and set aside.
Roast the red chillies in a dry tava or griddle on low-moderate heat, till fragrant.
Grind the chillies with the salt to make a fine powder.
Heat 1 tbsp of mustard oil in another pan. Sauté the minced onion on moderate heat, till crisp and brown.
Crush the onion and add it to the chilli-salt mix with a little water. Add this to the vegetables with the fried seafood.
Mix gently and heat through.
Garnish with the coriander sprigs and onion rings.
Serve hot with steamed rice.

Hot Chicken and Mushroom Steamed with Bamboo Shoot

Ingredients
5-6 dried red chillies
1 kg chicken, cut into small pieces
3 tbsp bamboo shoot (fresh or dried)
½ tsp North Eastern or Szechuan pepper, crushed
1 tsp red chilli powder
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp ajinomoto (optional)
250 gm green beans, trimmed (optional), cut into 2” pieces
200 gm mushrooms, sliced
2 bunches bok choy, washed, leaves separated (optional)
Salt to taste
Method
> Boil the red chillies in 1 cup of water in a small pan on high heat, till they are soft. Drain the excess water and crush the boiled chillies in a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
> Put the chicken in another pan and pour in just enough water to cover. Boil the chicken on high heat, till tender.
> Add the bamboo shoot, pepper, chilli powder, garlic and the reserved red chilli paste and cook on low heat, till all the Ingredients are well mixed.
> Stir in the salt and add ajinomoto for that extra dash of flavour.
> Next, add the beans, mushrooms and bok choy and cook, till the vegetables are tender, but crisp. Keep adding a little water intermittently so that the mixture is not completely dry.
> The chicken should have a fiery red colour. Serve hot.

Spicy Ginger Chicken
Serves 4-5
Ingredients
1 kg chicken, boned, roughly shredded
1½” piece ginger, roughly chopped
8 green chillies, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
To garnish
1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped (optional)
Method
> Put the shredded chicken in a large wok on low heat. Let the chicken cook in its natural juices. Cover the wok periodically to let enough steam generate so that the chicken is cooked evenly. Stir occasionally.
> Add salt and let the excess water dry out.
> Meanwhile, pound the ginger and green chillies in a mortar and pestle till the ginger fibres separate. The mixture should be somewhat coarse.
> Add the ginger-chilli mix to the chicken and cook for 5 minutes or so.
> Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional).
> Serve hot or cold.

Brenga Chicken steamed in Bamboo

Serves 4-5
Ingredients
1 kg chicken (or 4 small chicks)
2 large onions, finely minced
2” piece ginger, finely shredded
5-6 green chillies (preferably aaba chillies from Meghalaya), minced
1 tbsp mustard oil
1 fresh bamboo tube, about 10” long, 3” in diameter
Wholewheat dough, for sealing
Salt to taste
Method
> Clean the chicken and remove the bones. Cut the flesh into very small pieces and smash with a fork to make a coarse mince.
> Add the onions, ginger and green chillies to the chicken. Mix in the salt.
> Pour the mustard oil all over the mix and knead thoroughly with your hand.
> Stuff the chicken mix into the bamboo tube and seal the opening with the dough. Put the bamboo tube on a gentle wood or coal fire and roast for about 30 minutes.
> Serve hot.

Arsa Beipenek Spicy Chicken Stew from the Hmar Tribe

Serves 4-5
Ingredients
1” piece ginger, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
4 medium-sized onions, finely minced
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 kg chicken, cut into small pieces
10 dried red chillies, kept whole (bird’s eye chilli is used in Mizoram)
4 tbsp mustard oil
3 heaped tbsp wholewheat flour
A few leaves of bahkhawr (wild cilantro/fit-weed), optional
Salt to taste
Method
Mix the ginger, garlic, onions, turmeric powder and salt in a bowl and rub it into the chicken. Mix in the red chillies.
Heat the mustard oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, put in the marinated chicken and fry on moderate heat till brown.
Pour in enough water to cover the chicken and cook, till the chicken is tender.
Next, make a thick paste of wholewheat flour and a little water and stir it into the chicken, ensuring that no lumps are formed.
Add the bakhor leaves (optional) or fresh coriander and cook for a few minutes. 
Serve hot with steamed rice or toasted garlic bread.

Note: You can add a fistful of shredded mustard leaves/ string beans when the stew starts to boilMizoramBakhorBakhor or fit-weed, also known as spirit weed, as the name suggests is used to calm a person’s spirit. Its regular usage is said to counter epileptic fits.

Passengers To Be Screened For Swine Flu at Mizoram's Airport

Aizawl, Feb 23 : Passengers at Mizoram's lone Lengpui Airport near here will be screened to ensure detection of people infected with swine flu.

The state Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme's Nodal Officer Pachuau Lalmalsawma said the screening was being conducted after obtaining permission from the Aviation department.

The lone case of swine flu infection was detected on February 13 in a woman arriving from Delhi but she is now completely cured, Lalmalsawma said, adding that samples of four people have been tested so far and only one person was found to be positive till date.

The IDSP officials would also undertake screening of people arriving from outside the state at the Mizoram-Assam border Vairengte town soon.

At the Referral Hospital at Falkawn village near Aizawl, an isolation ward has been prepared to treat any swine flu patients while special laboratory was arranged at the Aizawl Civil Hospital.

Zomi tribes celebrate ‘national day’ in Manipur

Imphal, Feb 23 : The Zomi tribes on Friday celebrated their 67th 'Zomi Nam Ni' (Zomi National Day)-cum-Mithun Festival at Churachandpur district headquarters with pomp and gaiety.

Music and dance performances by various tribes lightened up the festive atmosphere and amid all the din and bustle the political leaders pledged to maintain peace and unity. This year's theme was "Marching forward in Unity".

Zomi tribes from Myanmar, Mizoram and New Zealand also participated in the event. The tribe can be found in 35 countries. The Zo ethnic group comprises Chin, Kuki, Mizo, Lushai and Kachin, according to the community elders.

Former chief minister and veteran politician Rishang Keishing (96) was the chief guest. He appealed to all the communities co-existing in the state to set aside their narrow interests and join hands for a better Manipur.

Keishing, who served 33 years as legislature and 22 years as MP, expressed dissatisfaction over the internal conflicts that have earned a bad repute for the state.

People should not forget that the hills should be brought on a par with valley in terms of development to maintain peace and harmony in Manipur, Keishing said.

Kuki National Organization (KNO) president P S Haokipw urged the state people to harbour a fellow feeling among themselves. KNO is an umbrella body of 17 Kuki militant groups which are signatories of the Suspension of Operation (Soo) with the government.

"I am pleased to say that the vision of unity is not confined to our people in Manipur, but extends to our fellow Mizo, Chin, Kachin, Konyak, Khimnungan, Zeliangrong, Karbi, Heimi, Para, Makury , Lainao, Naow and Nahen people," Haokip said. "We share a common past, customs, culture and tradition that bind us despite international boundaries that physically separate us," he said.