Govt urged to lift curbs on distribution of relief items
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 09 2021: RTI activist Wahengbam Joykumar of Wangkhei has strongly called for revoking the prohibitory order issued on May 25, 2021 by the district magistrate of Imphal West which restrained distribution of food and relief materials to public during COVID-19 pandemic.

Joykumar submitted a written request in this regard to the chief secretary of the state and the Imphal West district magistrate.

In his written request, Joy- kumar demanded revocation of the May 25 order so as to empower various organisations and individuals to continue their benevolent service of distributing food items and relief items in different forms to the poor and needy families of Imphal West district till the end of the pandemic.

According to Joykumar, declaration of containment zone in Greater Imphal area in the wake of the Covid-19 second wave and subsequent imposition of statewide curfew prohibited people from venturing out of homes and halted normal livelihood activities.

It also pointed out around 90,000 individuals working in various departments and undertakings under the government of Manipur are getting their regular salaries irrespective of their attendance in office or not and as such the curfew is not having any serious impact on families of government employees.

However, those who used to maintain their families by doing different business and activities outside their respective homes are facing serious issues as they have exhausted their savings while running their families.

Amid such a challenging situation, various NGOs/ CSOs/clubs/organisations and individuals started distribution of food and medical items at different localities including Imphal West district.

While distributing relief materials such as food and medical items or Covid relief kits, individuals or organisations used specially created relief kits/packages with names of donors for media coverage and social media consumption.

Such act of charity and good gesture shown by organisations and noble individuals have benefited the poor families to a large extent in as much as the government of Manipur could not mitigate the sufferings of the poor families during pandemic by distributing handful of rice under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) .

The very act of distributing relief materials to the poor families is appreciated from different quarters and expected to continue the same till the end of COVID-19 pandemic.

Surprisingly, on May 25, 2021, the Imphal West DM issued an order restricting organisations and individuals from distributing food items and relief materials to the needy individuals.

The order prohibited practice of using specially created relief kits with logos, use of loudspeakers mentioning names of donors, house to house visit done by organisations and individuals, putting up banner of individual donor on vehicle in the name of charity during the ongoing pandemic.

The said order further notified that any person found violating the prohibitory order shall be penalised under the relevant provisions of law and thus various organisations and individuals refrain themselves from further distribution of food items and relief materials to the poor and needy families.

No such prohibitory order was issued by DM of the remaining 15 districts of Manipur, even though such practice of distribution of food items and relief materials is prevalent, Joykumar noted in his written request.

He added that DM Imphal West did not mentioned the authority authorised to issue such prohibitory order and no law and enactment of the country has authorised DM Imphal West to issue such an impugned order, which is illegal and untenable in the eye of law.

He also said that DM Imphal West has no authority to issue such order and as such the impugned order is illegal and arbitrary, and created a stumbling block to the poor and needy families who require relief materials, food items regularly till the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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