Union Food & Public Distribution Minister Prof K V Thomas has assured to solve PDS crisis in Arunachal Pradesh by engaging more trucks to transport essential commodities, officials said on Thursday.

As food crisis haunts the land-locked state for the last two months despite the Centre being appraised of the poor delivery of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), an Arunachal team led by Food & Civil Supplies (FCS) Minister Kamlung Mosang called on Prof Thomas at New Delhi on Wednesday to seek his help, sources said.

Accompanied by MP Takam Sanjoy, Parliamentary Secretaries Nido Pavitra (FCS) and Padi Richo (LM & UD), Mosang highlighted how FCI's supply system was crippled by conversion of meter gauge to broad gauge railway lines.

Thomas directed his department officials to take tangible steps to redress the problem and meet the FCI CMD Shiraj Hussain and other officials as there should not be shortfall as stocks are allocated to the region, sources said.

On the state delegation's plea for one-time settlement of pending HTS (Hill Transport Subsidy) bills as directed by various courts, the union minister agreed to posting of regular general manager at Itanagar FCI's regional office, sources added.