In Hills: Vehicle carrying foodgrains torched

MP, 2 Aug 2017 |  Darjeeling, After a lull, incidents of arson returned to haunt the Darjeeling Hills with a vehicle carrying foodgrains and vegetables along with a courier service truck torched in the Hills on Wednesday. 

The indefinite bandh hit the 49th day mark on Wednesday with the Hills reeling under acute food shortage. In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, a Tata Spacio was stopped in front of the Darjeeling Railway Station allegedly by a masked group. The vehicle was carrying foodgrains, fish and vegetables. The people travelling in the vehicle were allegedly roughed up but managed to flee.

The vehicle was then torched. 

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha washed their hands off from the incident stating that they had nothing to do with the incident. There were widespread protests of the incident on social media sites. Many complained that while the agitators were alleging of food blockade allegedly by the state government machinery preventing food from reaching the Hills, such incidents of arson and vandalisms would deter people specially voluntary organisations from bringing up and distributing food to the Hills reeling under the indefinite bandh.

There were complaints against alleged picketers conducting checks at Zero Point on the Rohini Road and other places on the National Highway 55 stopping people from bringing in foodgrains and vegetables. 

Meanwhile, Jyotipriya Mullick, minister in charge of food supplies, claimed that the Food and Supplies department is keeping a tab on the situation. 

"A control room has been opened. The Public Distribution System has totally collapsed in the Hills. The control room will keep tab on this. Rice and other foodgrains available in the PDS godowns will be distributed in Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik," stated the minister. 

Meanwhile, a courier truck was torched and a bus vandalised at 27 Mile on the National Highway 10. The "Safe Express" courier truck was travelling from Sikkim to Siliguri where it was attacked and torched at Teesta Valley Phatak.

(Source & Courtesy: http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/in-hills-vehicle-carrying-foodgrains-torched-255733)