Imphal, September 03: At a time when any form of Governmental relief is confined to a mere 4000 quintal of rice, Churches in Mautam affected district of Churachandpur have utilised more than two crores rupees in relief during the past eight months, reports our CCpur correspondent.

Against the backdrop of civil societies no longer approaching the Govern ment, a survey conducted by The Sangai Express in a handful of Churches today revealed that more than Rs 2 crores, mainly foreign grants have already been utilised by six parent Church bodies.

Topping on the chart, RPC-NEI has claimed that Rs 85 lakhs worth of rice have been distributed in the interior block of Vangai and Tipaimukh.

The Partnership Missions Society has dispatched 2000 qntls of rice and Rs 45 lakhs in cash through its 'food for work' programme.

Evangelical Baptist Convention has allocated Rs 8 lakhs for relief in its latest budget but spent more than 16 lakhs for the same.

PCI (R) and CBA have also set aside Rs 12 and 10 lakhs respectively for the Mautam affected populace.

The Independent churches of India, also one of the biggest relief suppliers was not sure of their share as the man in-charge was out of station but they have collected more than Rs 4 lakhs through its Churches.

NEICORD an NGO based in Shillong has provided rice and dal to 6561 families in Tipaimukh, Vangai and Henglep areas with the support of World Relief Canada/Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

The monetary worth of their packages is exactly unknown but it surely is worth multiples of crores.

With Churches concen trating on the most complex district in the State, relief materials distributed this year alone could have crossed Rs 10 lakhs as most the Churches have received foreign donation in this regard.

A small Church such as the Chin Baptist Association (CBA) with presence only in sixteen villages, contributing Rs 10 lakhs worth of rice in 54 villages of Singngat sub division tells the efforts and funds being contributed through the Church coffers.

The leaders, in-charge of the Church reliefs have all through maintained that more assistance was needed by the people.

If their claims were anything to go by, and the insistence of civil societies that the contribution of Churches were minimal, the looming famine could have claimed its toll anytime.

Each passing day the farmers were losing their standing crops to the avid rodents, and the government still assuming that 25kg of rodenticidc will be sufficient for the entire district Rs.45,000 worth in cash and 500 bags of rice collected by COMFA in their bid to fight the famine will vanish in thin air unless the Chief Minister made unassuming intervention during his sojourn with the committee when he comes here for it highly pitched concert event.

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