Lamka, October 15 2008: The five member DONER team that arrived here to assess the extent of devastation caused by Mautaam today visited a jhum field, taking a step ahead of any other Governmental agencies including the State officials and made it very clear that there would be no dearth of funds for combating Mautam famine in the State.

''There will be no dearth of money from (the) side of (the) Government of India,'' Rabansu Kumar, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, assured the people while interacting with local civil societies here.

All that is needed, he said, is for the State Government to prepare a memorandum.

Doner's Secretary, also the team leader Verna S Rao during an interaction with various civil societies here at the DC's conference hall said she will do whatever is needed to make sure that the relief material and packages reach the people and in time.

The team also quizzed the State Government on why no noticeable relief packages were received by the people even six months after an inter-ministerial Central team had promised relief material for the jhum dependent minor-farmers and about four months after the Central Government has release the needed fund.

Rao also struck a confident note on convincing the Ministry concerned for allocation of additional 100 working days under NREGS for the Mautam affected districts.

''Why not, when the case is genuine,'' she said when one of her colleagues reflected on the proposal.

It is pertinent to note here that NREGS has constantly surface during the course of every interaction with villagers during the Manipur Hills Journalist's Union sponsored Mautaam surveys in August and November last.

The visiting team also assured the district administration as well as the public leaders of a fast-tract FCI Godown with a capacity of 2500 MT.

And as was desired by the people, gratuitous relief money would be converted in rice, they said.

This will ensure that every month an additional 8000 quintal of rice goes to the district free of cost.

Trekking one-and-a-half kilometer stretch to reached a jhum field at Tangpizol, about 40 kilometers from here the team witness, there in a whole lot of deserted fields and crops devastated by rodents.

The Doner team was accompanied by the Secretary Relief, P Vaiphei, Deputy Commissioner/CCpur Sumant Singh, SP/CCpur S Manglemjao and SDO/Singngat beside the local media and student leaders.

Comment