Bodies denounce Govt for withholding assistance, warn off forms of agitation
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 29 2021: The Hills and Valley People Council, Manipur (HVPCM) and Manipur Hills and Relief Demand Committee have vehemently condemned the lackadaisical attitude of the State Government in withholding the monetary assistance sanctioned by the Central Government for households affected by the drought of 2019 .

The organisations, in a release, said that the Central Government had sanctioned a sum of Rs 26.65 crore as relief assistance to be provided to the affected households.

However, the said amount has been pending in the Finance Department since May 2021, the release said.

A number of memorandum, representation, reminders have been submitted to the authorities concerned for early release of the relief amount to the respective households on humanitarian ground, but the Government has turned a deaf ear to the voice of the families affected by the drought, it said.

The Government has no justifiable reason for delaying inordinately the release of the assistance amount which by general practices, should be released forthwith without delay, it said.

Stating that the State Government has pushed their patience to the limit, the bodies warned that they will resort to highway bandh and blockade along with like minded organisations if the Government fails to release the relief amount by first week of January 2022 .

If the Government remains obstinate, they will even boycott the upcoming State Assembly election and the State Government should bear responsibility for any consequence arising out of it, the release added.

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