CM spells out rice stock steps for drought
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 31 2009: Considering the drought situation in the State, the State Government has asked the Centre to provide the full quota of rice allotted to the State under Public Distribution System.

This was stated by Chief Minister O Ibobi during a meeting of the Congress party held this afternoon on drought management.

The meeting held at Congress Bhawan and presided by MPCC president Gaikhangam was attended by Chief Minister O Ibobi, Speaker Dr S Budhichandra, Council of Ministers, MLAs, PCC members and presidents of DCCs and Blocks and leaders of frontal organisations.

Gaikhangam addresses Congress members

Addressing the meeting, Ibobi appealed to Congress workers to take pro-active roles in identifying the farmers and areas affected by drought and in ensuring that drought relief materials reach the people.

He instructed the Ministers to rope in Congress workers while assessing drought affected areas and taking up irrigation and soil conservation activities in both the hills and valley.

Taking serious note of the drought situation being faced by the people of Manipur, the Central Government has been urged to provide full quota for IAY, APL and BPL rice, the Chief Minister said.

He assured that necessary measures would be initiated to ensure that PDS rice reach people at the grassroots level.

Saying that NREGS works should be expanded, Ibobi said that local self governments should be involved in implementing Government programmes in hill districts.

Maximum efforts are being put in to conduct District Council elections at the earliest, he said.

Taking into account the prevailing law and order situation, the State Government has chalked out plans to station 60 to 70 security personnel in each police stations located in hill districts, Not less than 300 personnel would be deployed as district police force.

MPCC president Gaikhangam said that the meeting was convened following AICC president Sonia Gandhi's instruction to rope in Congress workers in implementing relief measures taken up by the Central Government in connection with the drought situation in Manipur.

He exhorted Congress workers to explain the relief measures taken up by the Government to farmers.

The meeting adopted four different resolutions.

Engaging Congress workers in drought management and related measures, opening party cells at PCC, district and block levels to monitor relief measures and increasing the present 100 working days guaranteed under NREGS to 150 and hiking the daily wage to Rs 100 from the existing wage of Rs 81.44 .

The fourth resolution was about organising a workshop camp of not less than three days to plug in the communication gap between the party ad the Government.