Govt urged to release drought relief package
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 29 2021: Hills and Valley People Council Manipur along with Hills and Valley Relief Demand Committee, Manipur have urged the state government to release the monetary assistance sanctioned by the central government for households affected by the drought of 2019 within the first week of January 2022.In a joint release, Council president Mark Pamei and Committee president Ibochou Singh vehemently condemned the state government for withholding a sum of Rs 26.65 crore sanctioned by the central government as relief assistance for the drought affected households.

The said amount has been pending in the Finance Department since May.

Despite submission of number of memorandums, representations, reminders and press releases for early release of the relief package to the respective households on humanitarian ground, the state government has turned a deaf ear to the genuine voice of drought victims, it decried.

The bodies continued that the government has no justifiable reason for delaying the release of drought assistance.

As the government has pushed their patience to the limit, they are compelled to give an ultimatum to the government to release the relief amount by the end of first week of January 2022 failing which agitations including highway bandh and blockade would be resorted to along with like-minded organisations, the presidents cautioned.

Further declaring that in case of the government remaining obstinate they would boycott the upcoming 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly Election, 2022 arid all consequences arising out of agitation should be borne by the state government.

Comment