'UGs, MLAs taking lion share of PDS items'
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, January 20 2013 : Various Underground outfits and local MLAs are taking the lion's share of all PDS items given to people under Below Poverty Line (BPL), Advocate Paikhomba has claimed.

Sharing some of his personal experiences during a day-long public discussion on 'deprivation of poor people's rights' organised by All Manipur Democratic Women's Front at Manipur Press Club here today, Paikhomba disclosed that a high level government officer once invited him for tea at his office after he filed an application under RTI in connection with distribution of PDS items in each district.

However, as he declined the "tea offer" from the top notch PDS officer, some goons of a MLA came searching for him and later one of the biggest underground groups in Manipur contacted him to ask for withdrawing his RTI application.

"When I filed an RTI application, the officer invited me for tea at his office and sent some people from a local MLA, and got a reply from one of the biggest UG groups threatening to kill me if I interfere in their projects.

Almost a year, I had to remain more or less underground to save my life��and at last, I had to wrapped up the issue following persistently e-mails them one after other," Paikhomba, who attended the inaugural function of the discussion session as one of the Guests of Honour, said.

Claiming that some UG groups in the state take upto 33% quota of the PDS items provided for the people, Paikhomba went on to observe 'if you go to any of the PDS agents in your localities and demanded full rations, they would simply replied that UGs have taken their share of the PDS items.

It is the stark reality of public distribution system (PDS) in Manipur.

The advocate also stressed the need to monitor the activities of some "rogue NGOs", which are looting PDS items meant for poor people belonging to BPL families.

N Tomba, President of All Manipur Private Schools' Association and one of the Guests of Honour of the function, said that the most important war is not taking up weapons and demand independence but it the war of Pukchak (food) .

"Only when we eat enough and good food, we can think of making our children good citizens of the society.

So independence movement should start from Pukchak," Tomba opined.

N Bimol Singh, President of Senior Citizens for Society, who spoke as Special Guest, contended that administration in the state is in a state of "utter failure" with corruption becoming an essential part of the whole system.

If only we can stop the system of distributing PDS items through our local MLAs, then we could think of getting more rations.

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