Lamka, January 03: In what could be term as the most dreadful act of any elected Government, the State Government has put its 7th September 2007, 15th September 2007 orders under wrap as far as atleast 93 village grain banks in five hill districts are concerned.

A document in the possession of this correspondent has notified 'the establishment of Village Grain Banks in 93 hill villages in inaccessible food scarce areas of the 5 (five) hill districts of Manipur'.

The notification, issued on September 7 last year and signed by LP Gonmei, Commissioner (FCS) Government of Manipur also appended 90 of the 93 villages which were 'identified by the Deputy Commissioner of the districts concerned in order to provide food security to the hill tribal villages'.

The appended villages complete with names of the chairman and secretary of the Grain Banks include 25 in Churachandpur, 30 in Tamenglong, 25 in Chandel, 5 in Senapati and 5 identified and 3 unidentified in Ukhrul district.

Subsequently, P Sarat Chandra, Principal Secretary (FCS), Govt of Manipur has issued an order on September 15, 2007 sanctioning an amount of Rs.11,34,600 for establishing the said Grain Banks.

"In pursuance of letter No.6-1/2005-BP,II dated 21.2.2006 of the Government of India, Ministry of Consumer (affairs,) Food & Public Distribution, Department of Food and Public Distribution, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi, the Governor of Manipur is pleased to accord sanction to an expenditure not exceeding Rs 11,34,600 only towards cash component for establishment of 93 Village Grain banks in 5 hill districts of Manipur" reads the order.

The Principal Secretary's order issued in concurrence of the Finance Department vide their order U.O.No.1/2007-08/FD (15-CSS) dated 10.9.2007 also said the expenditure is debitable.

Despite the couple of Manipur Government's standing memo, it is poignant to note that not even a single grain bank has come up even till the end of 2007 in Churachandpur, a district identified for having 25 of the banks.

With the district already blaring for food grains owing to Mautaam famine, it would be more than a miracle if the State Government has already instituted the banks in other unconcerned district and not in Churachandpur.

According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Department of Food and Public Distribution memo, the village Grain Banks, a revised scheme is initiated to address and enhance accessibility of food grains to the tribal areas, hot and cold deserts, far flung inaccessible hilly areas and to the marginalised communities.

With Rs.250 crores ear-marked during the 10th Plan period the scheme has envisaged inclusion of all willing BPL and AAY families in the villages identified as chronically food deficit areas, and even proposed that 30-40 BPL/AAY families may form a grain bank.

Food grains for the scheme will be supplied up to the Principal Distribution Centre (PDC) and to the concerned State/UT on 'free of cost' basis by the FCI, for which, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution will make quarterly advance payment to the FCI.

Of the two components ��viz cash and food, the state has to only share the transportation cost from the PDC to the village grain banks and that too at the rate of 50:50 .

Under the scheme that is envisaged/proposed to be implemented during the last two years of the 10th Plan (2005-06 and 2006-07), 'one quintal of food grains is proposed to be provided per family as one time grant by Government of India' and its main objective being, 'to provide safeguard against starvation during the period of natural calamity or during lean season when the marginalised food insecure households do not have sufficient resources to purchase the rations.

Such people in need of food grains will be able to borrow the food grains'.

But the reality remains that the State Government is still denying its deserving citizens of this scheme till this day, a complete three months after it formally notified the Central Government of its establishment.

When others dare to feint in order to benefit its people, the SPF Government in Manipur seems to go for the contrary, feinting to deprive its villages of a noble central scheme.

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