Activate Tribal Affairs and Hills Dept demand raised
TAKE, FATYCM warn of agitation
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 05 2024: The Tangkhul Aze Katamnao Long (TAKL) or Southern Tangkhul Students' Union and the Federation of All Tribal Youth Clubs Manipur (FATYCM) have warned of a strong agitation if the defunct Tribal Affairs and Hills Department is not activated and its activities including disbursal of pending scholarship of tribal students are not resumed within the current month.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here today, TAKL president Yarchuiso Kashung said that TA&Hills Department is responsible for several welfare schemes and development programmes in hill areas but the department has not been implementing any development programme since the last couple of years.

It is now nothing more than a white elephant, he said.

Since 2020, several welfare schemes which should be implemented by TA&Hills Department in hill areas have not been implemented till date.

With the department unable to submit utilisation certificates to the Centre for the works implemented earlier, subsequent instalment of funds are not coming adequately or in time, Yarchuiso Kashung said.

Even as benefits of housing scheme have not been distributed till date to the beneficiaries selected earlier, TA&Hills Department has issued fresh forms to select new beneficiaries of the same scheme, he said.

He said that TAKL and FATYCM will never accept extension of service of TA&Hills Joint Director cum DDO L Rajendro Singh who retired on November 30 last on superannuation.

Post matric scholarship 2023-24 which has been pending since the time of Joint Director cum DDO L Rajendro has not been distributed till date.

From 2020 till 2024, various welfare schemes and poverty alleviation schemes like rural shelter/housing, piggery, poultry, agricultural, horticultural and animal husbandry programmes have not been implemented on the ground, Yarchuiso said.

He said that the pending schemes should be sanctioned and implemented on the ground within December else TAKL and FATYCM will take the matter to Delhi and stage protest at the National capital.

FATYCM general secretary Hopson Machinao was also present at the press meet.

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