People cheated under FSA facade
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 27 2013 :
Although the National Food Security Act was envisaged and enacted with the noble objective of providing food grains at the cheapest rates to the country's poor and underprivileged sections, the same Act has turned out to be a convenient tool for earning easy money from the same class of underprivileged people in Manipur.
It is reported that some workers of Ministers and MLAs have been collecting Rs 80 to Rs 100 from a large number of prospective beneficiaries in the name of preparing and issuing them the National Food Security cards.
The Congress party as well as the Congress Government headed by Chief Minister O Ibobi have been organising political conferences cum awareness programmes at district and block levels in order to educate people about the National Food Security Act.
The novel scheme is estimated to benefit 23.87 lakh people of Manipur.
Workers of Ministers and MLAs are now undertaking a hectic process of identifying deserving beneficiaries.
Their activity does not end in identifying beneficiaries.
They are also charging money from the identified prospective beneficiaries, said a resident of Langthabal.
In Langthabal AC, the political workers have been charging money for changing names and enlistment for the scheme on household to household basis.
In Konthoujam AC, workers of two prospective candidates belonging to two different political parties have been charging Rs 80 to Rs 100 from each of the prospective beneficiaries.
Notably, the Imphal West DC has already instructed the district SP to conduct an enquiry following purported reports that (enlistment) forms for the scheme are sold in some areas of Sagolband AC.
Talking about these reports of some political worker collecting money from prospective beneficiaries, a few Deputy Commissioners categorically clarified that no one needs to spend a dime on collecting forms or obtaining cards.