COCOMI seeks early compensation
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 10 2024:
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has urged the Government to pay adequate compensation at the earliest to all the victims of the devastating hailstorm and thunderstorm which lashed several parts of the State on May 5 .
Meitei people have been suffering extreme misery following the aggression launched by Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists on May 3, 2023, the COCOMI said in a statement issued to the press.
Because of the relentless attacks by Chin-Kuki narcoterrorists, many farmers could not undertake agricultural activities and many of them suffered casualties as they were fired upon while working in the fields, it said.
At the same time, thousands of people have been taking refuge in relief camps.
It was during this difficult time that a violent thunder-storm/hailstorm wreaked havoc in several parts of the State on May 5 .
A large number of houses were ravaged and large fields of agricultural and horticultural crops were also destroyed, the COCOMI noted.
It also conveyed solidarity to all the victims of the hailstorm/thunderstorm.
It urged the Government to pay adequate compensation at the earliest to all the people whose houses and/or standing crops have been destroyed.
The COCOMI also appealed to the Government to take up special measures for the families who suffered casualties in the hailstorm/ thunderstorm and lightning.
The COCOMI stated that there should not be any political influence in the distribution of relief materials and implementation of other relief measures for the victims.
It suggested that all relief materials be distributed through the DCs and SDOs concerned.
It has become a habit of the State Government that funds sanctioned for drought or flood were never distributed to the victims in time.
An amount of Rs 24 crore was sanctioned as relief fund for drought which occurred in the State in 2019 but the fund has not been distributed to the affected people, COCOMI decried.
Now a large number of families have been devastated by hailstorm and thunderstorm.
Damage reports collected by DCs, SDOs and SDCs would not be complete.
These reports would be more complete if local clubs and Meira Paibi groups are roped in, it said.
It would be judicious to divide the victims into two categories as badly damaged and partially damaged instead of fixing a uniform rate of compensation for all the victims, the COCOMI added.