UCM decries Kamjong MLA, TNAL's stand
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 22 2020:
The United Committee Manipur (UCM) has decried the alleged attempt of the Kamjong MLA to hoodwink the people of Chadong village and the Tangkhul Naga Aze Longphang's (TNAL) attempt to shield the MLA.
UCM COVID-19 STF went to Chadong Maphou on April 20 to distribute relief items.
Interacting with the visiting UCM team, the villagers said that they received just 1 Kg of rice per head since the lockdown was clamped.
The villagers' disclosure is a serious question as to why the Chadong Maphou villagers were given just one Kg of rice per head while every individual in the valley Assembly Constituencies received 3 to 4 Kgs of rice, said a press release issued by the UCM.
Taking serious note of how the innocent villagers have been deprived of their rightful share, the UCM general secretary posted the matter on Facebook so as to draw attention of the Chief Minister.
Instead of verifying the Facebook post, the Kamjong MLA posted a photograph of himself standing in front the DSO office on April 21 with caption which said that he was working to lift rice for COVID-19 lockdown only on the particular day.
In his WhatsApp post, the MLA was saying that the rice allotment for the month of March was for NFSA.
However, when Chief Minister N Biren announced a relief package for the masses during the first phase of the lockdown, he made it clear that rice allotted under NFSA for the month of March should be distributed to all the people irrespective of whether they hold NFSA cards or not at the rate of 4 Kgs per head.
As announced by the Chief Minister, 3 to 4 Kgs of rice were distributed to all the people in the valley.
As such, rice allotted for the month of March under NFSA was meant for providing relief to all the people reeling under the lockdown, the UCM asserted.
As most hill people did not know that one Kg of rice distributed at Chadong village per head was a relief item, the UCM secretary uploaded a post on social media highlighting the possibility of anomalies by those involved in distributing rice in Kamjong AC and the need for a thorough investigation.
On the other hand, another team of STF went to Tangkhul Khullen of Saikul AC with relief items today.
There too, the villagers said that they received just 1.5 Kg of rice per head.
They said that they never received more than 1.5 Kg of rice per head even before the COVID-19 lockdown.
One can assume that the MLAs concerned were working in their own political interest but the way the TNAL attempted to shield the MLAs at the cost of the Tangkhul people is rather intriguing, the UCM remarked.
It is crucial to ascertain the authenticity of the allegations made by villagers because a human crisis has been besieging the whole State.
All organisations and MLAs and even underground organisations need to work selflessly in this hard time, the UCM asserted.
The UCM will never stand or work against the larger interest of the masses, it added.