Assembly over, focus on curbing virus
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: August 27, 2021 -

THOUGH non-tabling of the hotly-debated 'The Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Bill, 2021' in the just concluded monsoon session of the assembly is poised to become one of the biggest discourses in the upcoming election to the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, many of the issues raised by the opposition members, mainly centred on the plight of the masses due to the Covid-19 pandemic, merit minute deliberation by the government to avert repetition of the disastrous consequences as well as to showcase administrative efficiency.

Notwithstanding the statement given by Tribal Affairs and Hills minister Vungazgin Valte in the House that the government is committed to development of the tribal people, such an assurance is unlikely to be satisfactory to tribal organisations till enactment of the Bill.

Thus, it could be safely stated that the proposed legislation recommended by the Hill Areas Committee of Manipur Legislative Assembly will remain a thorny issue in the days to come, with strong possibility of the state besetting with a series of agitations, at-least till the conduct of the assembly elections.

Only time will tell whether or not the administration concedes to the demand of tribal people but it is obvious that in view of the upcoming election, the ADC Bill issue will continue to rage and leaders of rfon-BJP parties, including the alliance partners, would understandably look for exploiting the situation to their advantage and scoring some brownie points to woo the electors.

However, the political class will only have large gatherings at their election events if the health crisis does not aggravate.

Therefore, the need of the hour is for the government to focus on bringing the pandemic under full control and ensuring the suffering public to have hassle-free access to the centrally-sponsored food grain schemes or projects that aim to provide sources of income generation to the impoverished sections of the society.

Since the past many months, the commoners have been facing the wrath of the viral disease and such a pitiable situation is unlikely to dissipate any sooner if the contagion continues or the government cannot guarantee their monthly provision of PDS rice.

Amid reports of thousands of deserving families still left out of the PDS scheme either due to delay in processing relevant documents or as a consequence of politicising the noble scheme, it is interesting to hear Congress MLA K Meghachandra likening the PDS rice allocation mechanism to money minting machine for some rice contractors in cahoots with traders.

Considering the fact that distribution of rice has been a chronic problem in the state, there is every reason for the public to believe in the MLA's assertion about nexus between the traders and the contractors dealing in transportation of the state's staple food item.

If at all the state faces the third wave of the pandemic, it needs no reminding that adequate provision of rice and controlling prices of other essential items will be decisive on whether the crisis deepens or not.

Thus, it is desired that the government accords importance to the remedial measures placed in the House and implements them diligently to help the public tide over the unprecedented crisis situation.