AGARTALA, August 8 (TIWN): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rejected the state government's plea to regularize foodgrain transportation through Bangladesh after transportation of the first consignment of 5,000 MT foodgrains starting August 07, official sources said. Cabinet secretary Ajit Kumar Seth informed Chief Secretary G Kameshwara Rao during a recent video-conference interaction that the central government couldn’t guarantee any prospects of continued supplies through Bangladesh. “They told us to remain contended with the assurance of 10,000 MT foodgrain supplies through Bangladesh”, Chief Secretary Rao said shortly after the interaction.

Trucks loaded with foodgrains from Ashuganj port in Bangladesh started to enter Akhaura International Check Post (ICP) from Friday morning. Twenty trucks are slated to enter the state today with 340 bags of rice loaded onto each. While the first consignment of 5,000 MT rice would be transported into the state by the next 14 days, the second consignment of rice from Kakinada of Andhra Pradesh got a headstart for Bangladesh yesterday, a source said.

The shipment of the cargo from Andhra to Ashuganj port in Bangladesh would usually take around 20 days but the repeated checks mandatory along the eastern coastline of the country with numerous national and many international ports delays the process, the source informed adding that the second cargo of foodgrains is expected to arrive at Ashuganj port shortly after transportation of the first is completed.

Food Minister Bhanulal Saha said here recently that the state government would press the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the central government to approve regular transportation the FCI foodgrain supplies through Bangladesh. It would help in reducing the time consumed for transportation and the charges incurred, he said.

Chief Secretary GK Rao said that the issue was raised during the interaction with cabinet secretary AK Seth but the latter turned down the issue right away citing issues of international understanding.