TNL appeals CM for changes in Covid-19 scheme criteria
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang
Ukhrul, August 05 2021:
Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) has urged chief minister N Biren Singh to make some changes in the eligibility criteria for availing CM's Covid-19 Affected Livelihood Support Scheme.
Briefing media persons in his office chamber, TNL president Hopingson A Shimray said he has submitted a letter to the CM through the district administration on Thursday, appealing to him to make some modifications in the current eligibility criteria of the scheme.
"This is to make the poorest of the poor eligible for availing benefits under the scheme, especially in the hill districts like Ukhrul and Kamjong," he said.
According to Shimray, CM's Covid-19 Affected Livelihood Support Scheme is one of the many citizen centric schemes initiated by the state government during the pandemic.
He nevertheless asserted that the eligibility criteria laid down for the scheme, are not felicitous for the hill districts.
"If they are not modified, the present criteria would exclude many deserving poor Covid-19 affected people in town areas and villages in the hill districts and these poor people would not be able to avail the benefits of the scheme," he continued.
"Therefore, it is requested that in respect of hill area citizens, applicant criteria may be suitably modified and addition may be made to include the Covid-19 affected households from among the poorest of the poor in the hill districts," Shimray stated in the appeal letter.
The TNL chief requested CM Biren to include widows who don't have any employee in the household, and orphans who are left without any stable income and they are to be certified by headman/chairman of village/locality and SDO concerned.
Similarly, Shimray urged for inclusion of daily wage earners/labourers who lost their jobs and don't have any regular income earners in the family.
They are also to be certified by headman/chairman of village/locality and SDO concerned respectively.