People in hill districts deprived of their entitled share : ATRPFM, Federation of Haomee
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 06 2020: All Tribal Rights' Protection Forum Manipur (ATRPFM) has alleged that the edible items such as rice, dal, oil and other food items promised by the Chief Minister N Biren Singh were not distributed in some hill districts.

The Chief Minister has assured that 4 kg of rice per head would be provided to all households of the State to solve the food problems brought by the Nationwide lockdown, ie a family with 5 members are entitled to get 20 kgs per month with other food items like dal, oil, pulses, sugar, etc.

However, the concerned MLAs, ADCs, ration agents, and other concerned authorities have failed to provide the entitled shares of the citizens, said a statement from ATRPFM.

The forum also claimed that funds for the relief works might have already come from the Union Government, i.e, from PM CARES and many institutions, organizations and individuals have also donated to the Chief Minister's COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Some kg of rice would not relieve the suffering of the people in this very difficult and horrible time and hills people are very poor and have no savings, it said adding that the authorities concerned have not provided anything till date except a few kg of rice.

Alleging that the relief materials might have been misappropriated by some selfish leaders, ATRPFM opined that it would be morally wrong and spiritually a grave sin to misappropriate the funds instead of helping the underprivileged individuals.

ATRPFM then appeals the Chief Minister, MLAs, ADCs, agents and authorities concerned authorities to look into the matter and monitor the provision of relief materials minutely so that the deserving individuals are not deprived of their right to live in such a difficult situation.

The concerned authorities shall distribute the food items at the earliest as entitled and monitor the distribution minutely, failing which ATRPFM would be compelled to take up legal action against the responsible officers, agents or individuals, the forum cautioned.

Federation of Haomee (FOH) has also stated that hill people are not receiving their entitled share of the essential items being distributed by the State Government.

In a statement, Federation president Sapamcha Jadumani said that many households in hills are getting rice less than 1kg per head when the people in both the hills and the valley are suffering equally due to the lockdown.

Though Saikul AC alone has 28 Tangkhul villages with 1562 households only 248 bags (50 kg per bag) of rice have been allotted.

As such, only 1.5 kg of rice per head is being distributed at Thayong village, while 6 kg of rice per head at Purum Khullen, Purum Likli, Ngakha Pat and Lairok Kom villages, said the federation, adding that only 80 bags of rice were allotted to 399 households of Thoyee village in Phungyar AC and 59 bags for 200 households in Riha Village, which equate to less than 1 kg of rice per head in both villages.

For New Canaan village in Ukhrul AC, which has 401 households 74 bags of rice were distributed.

Litan Sareikhong (Bazar), which is the convergence point of three districts, has 71 households with a population of 374.However, the area is yet to receive any rice.

Although 13 kg of rice has been distributed to every household in Tadubi AC, Chawangkining village has not received any rice till date, FOH asserted adding that New Eden, Katomei Village of Senapati district and Chowainu, Pudunamei and Punanamei villages of Mao are also among the villages which have not received any rice from the State Government.

While 2 kg of rice per head is being distributed in Tamenglong and Chandel districts, 6 kg of rice is being distributed for Tengnoupal district.

However, for households with 6-7 members, the rice given is less than 1 kg per head.

In this regard, the federation appealed to the Chief Minister and the State Government to look into the matter at the earliest so that the hill people also receive their entitled share.

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