Imphal, June 13 2009: Welcoming the proposed visit of Governor Gurbachan Jagat to take first hand account of the villages of Phungyar sub-division of Ukhrul district where food shortage is looming large following the failure of shifting cultivation last year, Tangkhul Youth Council and ICHAM have placed lot of expectation from this high profile visit. The Governor is expect to visit the affected villages on June 15 .

Addressing a press conference jointly in this regard at Manipur Press Club here today, president of Tangkhul Youth Council Zanyo Varam said the decision of the Governor to take first hand account of the affected villages after news report of the same were flashed in the media is really appreciable.

Since the problem surfaced last year, the affected villagers have not received any assistance from the side of the State Government nor none of the elected representatives have come to their help, Varam said, while questioning what the Government has been doing all these while.

Ahead of the high profile visit, memorandum have also been submitted to the Governor and the Chief Minister today highlighting the problems of the villagers and urging for relief, Varam informed, adding that the total number of villages including some falling under Kasom Khullen that have been affected due to failure of crop is 30 .

Clarifying on the report of deducting 7 percent of the fund under NREGS by a UG group published in connection with a joint inspection visit conducted jointly by Tangkhul Youth Council and ICHAM on June 5 and 6 to these villages, Varam said it was due to some communication gap and the deduction was actually from the contingency fund of the villages.

While drawing the attention of the authorities concerned towards ensuring proper functioning of the District Disabilities Rehabilitation Centre set up under Social Welfare Department in Ukhrul two years back, Varam also pointed out that out of 120 Anagwandi centres to be set up in Ukhrul district only 75 centres have been constructed so far.

Asserting that the service of the UBI Branch in Ukhrul is not to the satisfaction of the people, Varam suggested that opening up of a SBI branch would be to the interest of the people.

Ukhrul district is also yet to received its allocated fund under SEGP for the period 2007-08, he noted.

ICHAM president N Rajendro who was also present during the press conference expressed appreciation of the concerned shown by the Governor.

Taking serious note over the missing of the report related to 13 affected villages that has been submitted by the office of the Deputy Commissioner to the Government, he also expressed apprehension over the possibility of siphoning off the relief material meant for the affected villages by some unscrupulous elements.

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