All 8 Northeast States Get FCI Panel Chiefs, BJP Leads

Agartala, Jun 2: The central government has appointed Members of Parliament as chairpersons of the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) state-level consultative committees in all eight Northeastern states. Of the eight, six will be headed by BJP MPs, while Meghalaya’s nominee is from the National People’s Party (NPP) and Mizoram’s from the Mizo National Front (MNF), an NDA ally.

The MPs appointed to lead these committees are: Kamakhya Prasad Tasa for Assam, Tapir Gao for Arunachal Pradesh, Rajib Bhattacharjee for Tripura, Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba for Manipur, K. Vanlalvena for Mizoram, S. Phangnon Konyak for Nagaland, Dr. Wanweiroy Kharlukhi for Meghalaya, and Dr. Indra Hang Subba for Sikkim. All except Dr. Subba (Sikkim Krantikari Morcha), Dr. Kharlukhi (NPP), and Vanlalvena (MNF) are from the BJP.

Also read | India’s Top CEOs Ambani, Birla and Chandrasekaran Courted for Northeast Development

These consultative committees play an advisory role in monitoring FCI operations such as procurement, storage, and public distribution of food grains. The appointments were made based on a recommendation from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and formalised by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

The MPs will serve in an honorary capacity, with no entitlement to salary, office facilities, or additional allowances. Their primary role is to act as a liaison between the central agency and state stakeholders to improve efficiency and accountability in the food supply system—especially crucial in a region where connectivity and logistics remain a challenge.