Organisation demands fund for disabled persons
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 26 2017:
State Platform of Disabled Peoples Organisation Manipur and Relief Centre for the Welfare of Differently Able Persons have urged the authority concerned to take up necessary actions against the officials, Departments and Ministers concerned who neglected their duties and failed to release the funds reserved for the benefits differently able persons .
Speaking to media persons, president of the State Platform of Disabled Peoples Organisation, Yunush Khan said that on July 24, during the Assembly session, relying to a motion by MLA AK Mirabai from the Opposition alleging that around Rs 31 lakh sanctioned for the scholarship, financial assistance, unemployment allowance and grant in aid for the differently able persons for the year 2016-17 had lapsed, Social Welfare Minister Nemcha Kipgen had assured that the funds had not lapsed and were not lost .
Accusing Minister Nemcha Kipgen of distorting the facts, Yunush Khan said that when the organisation approached her about the funds, she again assured that the funds were still intact .
However, try as they might, the organisation members were not able to schedule an appointment with the Minister again .
When the organisation met with the Social Welfare Director and the Deputy Director, they were informed that the funds filed to be released on time and as such it would be released for the year 2017-18 .
Yunush Khan said that the organisation urged the authority to release the fund for the year 2016-17 without fail even if that of 2017-18 is released .
He further pointed out that when the organisation met with the Social Welfare Deputy Director recently, he tried to shift the blame to the Finance Department by alleging that it had delivered the necessary files and documents to the Department at around 11.30 pm of March 31 which led to the failure to release the fund .
“There are more than 28,000 differently able persons in the State and more than half of them are not getting any benefits from the schemes provided by the Government”, he added .
Yunush Khan urged the State Government to look into the matter at the earliest and take up necessary actions against the Minister, officials who have neglected their duties and threatened to launch intense agitation if the missing funds are not released at the earliest.