Itanagar, June 23.(PTI): A population of 57,000 in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Kameng district faced certain starvation with no rice supplies from Food Corporation of India (FCI), it was officially stated today.

Demands for immediate air dropping of rice and other food items supplied by Fair Price Shops were made by the All Nyishi Students Union as they claimed people not only of Kameng but also of Kurung Kumey district seldom received essentials carried by porters after air dropping was stopped.

A population of 57,000 in East Kameng district was facing starvation because rice supplies from the FCI were not being received, an official release said here.

It said despite the best efforts by the Deputy Commissioner, the district authorities were not getting any reply from the FCI about queries on when supplies would be resumed after it stopped this month.

This had resulted in depletion of stocks in almost all godowns of the central procurement organisation and fair price shops in the district.

The entire population of the district would face certain starvation if supplies on which it was entirely dependent were not restored, the release said.

It also said the situation was compounded with villagers of the district abandoning cultivation fearing famine because bamboo flowering had begun.

The flowering of bamboo resulted in increase in the rodent population as it fed on it. The increased population of rats devoured foodgrains resulting in famine.