There is concern that much of the sugar and onions brought into Meghalaya are not consumed here but illegally smuggled over into neighbouring Bangladesh.
The sight of trucks loaded with sugar and onions is common in the state, with pressure groups alleging that these amount to much more than is required to serve Meghalaya’s appetites.
Today, members of pressure groups and the local food and vegetable suppliers association made a short stop in Umphyrnai village on the outskirts of Shillong to try and find out the reality.
Two trucks were inspected and the self-appointed inspectors claimed that their paperwork was incomplete.
The driver of the truck carrying onions said that his produce was from outside Meghalaya and was meant for Karimganj in Assam but his papers showed that the consignment was meant for Shillong.
The truck carrying sugar had only a receipt from a warehouse in 8th Mile, Ri-Bhoi but was being taken to Laitlyngkot in East Khasi Hills.
“If the concerned department does its job and comes to the ground we won’t have to come ourselves here,” T Swer, member of the Hynñiewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) said. “It is the failure of the Food and Civil Supplies Department to detect such anomalies that compelled us (pressure group and association) to do what we are doing.”
When asked if he suspects that the sugar is meant to be smuggled into Bangladesh, Swer said that thousands of trucks carrying sugar enter the state daily, which does not make sense if the consumption is local.
The Border Security Force (BSF) periodically makes seizures of many tonnes of sugar along the international border with Bangladesh. Two days ago 44 tonnes of the sweet stuff was seized in South Garo Hills.
Meanwhile, the Khasi Jaintia Food and Vegetable Suppliers Association (KJFVSA), Mawryngkneng circle of the Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) and HNYF denied a recent social media post that alleged that the three groups extort money from trucks carrying goods at Lad Smit.
Henry Dkhar, president of the KJFVSA, said that those making the allegations should prove their allegations within 24 hours.
