Imphal, June 14 2009: The Tangkhul Youth Council today blamed the state authority for remaining silent by not providing relief materials to the villages of the Phungyar sub-division in Ukhrul district facing food scarcity problem despite the council plea.

Not only the district authority but even the circle MLA and sitting Rajya Sabha MP who hailed from one of the affected villages did not visit their native village and said a single word for taking up relief measures, the council alleged.

Talking to a press conference organized jointly by the Tangkhul Youth Council and ICHAM at Manipur Press Club today, president of the council, Zanyo Varam recalled that they have already highlighted that around 30 villages of the Phunyar sub-division of Ukhrul district are facing food scarcity as a result of failure of paddy crop last year.

Village authorities have also brought up the problem to the notice of the district authority by submitting representations at their own level seeking funds which could relief them from the woes suffering by them well in advance, he observed.

For the last around one year, villagers are seeking relief measures from the authority but instead of providing the relief measures, the files pending with the DC and SDO have been lost, he alleged.

Interestingly the circle MLA of the Phungyar and Rajya MP, Rishang Keishing were the residents of one of the villages suffering from food scarcity.

They never come to look after the suffering of the villages, the president alleged.

They seem forgetting that they are put up by the villagers at the time of elections as their representatives.

Remaining silent despite the villagers suffering by them is an unfortunate thing, he revealed.

Zanyo Varam further informed the reporters that the council has submitted memoranda to the state chief minister and Governor with regard to the woes suffering by the villagers.

For the Governor, he has assured of visiting the villages during his tour in the district and to take up step from his side at his level.

Governor, Gurbachan Jagat is scheduled to pay a visit in Ukhrul district on June 15 .

He also further observed that even though the Phungyar block was created in 2007 with eight staffs of the office are working in Imphal.

So, all developmental works have not taken up in the block.

Apart from this, out of 120 anganwadi to be constructed across the district only 75 built and works for other are yet not taken up by the authorities.

President of the Information Centre for Hill Areas, Manipur, ICHAM, N Rajendro said that authorities of the 13 villages have approached the DC for relief measures to their villages but the DC informed that files relating to the matter have been lost.

The response of the DC has compelled to feel that some persons had already taken out the relief funds and materials.

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