IMPHAL, Nov 19 - Employees of the Manipur Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department suspended their work today and staged a sit-in-protest on their office premises at Sangaiporou here. The employees were protesting against the recovery of a hand grenade, believed to have been planted by suspected militants, from the residence of one of their colleagues.
On November 15, the Chinese-made grenade was found at the residence of Khuraijam Naba Kanta Singh, OSD (Rice), Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department, at Kongba Kshetri Leikai under the Irilbung PS in Imphal East district. The bomb was later defused by a police squad. The protest was staged under the aegis of the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department Employees� Union who alleged that the working atmosphere has been severely affected due to the bomb threat at the residence of their colleague.
The suspension of duties affected the normal distribution of PDS items, particularly allocation of rice.
Talking to reporters at the protest site, the union�s general secretary, K Romen, alleged that the November 15 bomb threat was not the first time employees of the department were targeted by suspected militants. He said the recent bomb threat came amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department is the nodal department responsible for the distribution of PDS items, including rice at subsidised rates, under the National Food Security Act.
