ZCOs call for proper distribution of rice under PMGKAY
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 23 2021: Zeliangrong Civil Organisation (ZCOs) have appealed to the state government to strictly monitor and supervise the overall rice distribution system so as to ensure that all deserving citizens of the state get their share of rice under PMGKAY programme during this pandemic.

There are some unscrupulous individuals seemingly doing lucrative business out of the pandemic by taking advantage of the situation.

It seems that there is lack of monitoring and supervision by the competent authority in enforcing the guidelines and regulation especially in distribution of rice for the general public, ZCOs said in a press release issued on Sunday.

The Zeliangrong bodies pointed out that each person is entitled to get 5kgs of rice under NFSA and 35kgs of rice per AAY card holder at the rate of Rs 3 per kilo per month, while 5kgs of rice are entitled to each person free of cost under PMGKAY during the pandemic.

The actual quantity of rice for those card holders is depending on the size and numbers of household members which means a family having 5 to 7 members may get about 60 to 70 kgs of rice per month under NFSA, AAY and PMGKAY schemes but this is not so happening in reality, ZCOs added.

They went on to say that those citizens who are not covered under the category of NFSA and AAY card holders, especially tenants in different locations, are greatly affected by the pandemic situation, and appealed to the government to strictly monitor and supervise the overall rice distribution system so as to ensure that all deserving citizens of the state get their share of rice under PMGKAY programme during these hard times.

Reports of not maintaining uniformity in quantity of rice distribution that vary from place to place and village to village have emerged as 2kgs or 3kgs or 4kgs per household and the same quantity is provided per person sometimes which is a clear indication of system failure as well as manipulation by unscrupulous individuals, ZCOs said, adding, "It is quite unimaginable for those families having about 10 or more family members to manage with only 2kgs or 3kg or 4kgs of rice given as the household share even though those small families can somehow manage for one or two meals" .

The ZCOs then appealed to "the competent authority to issue strong direction and instruction to those individuals who are engaged, assigned and entrusted with the tasks of distribution of rice for general public during these crucial times to maintain quantity uniformity in rice distribution as well as to ensure all citizens get their deserve share without any form of deprivation".

They also urged the state government to "take up necessary precautionary measures in the hill districts vis-a-vis the poor infrastructures and lack of requisite facilities of health care system in addition to inadequate presence of medical practitioners in rural and remote areas considering the unprecedented surge of covid-19 positive cases with high mortality rate prevailing in the state which is really a matter of great concern" .

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