IMPHAL, February 4: The All Tribal Student’s Union Manipur with its headquarter at Nagaram has warned the state Social Welfare department to streamline the implementation of the Wheat Base Nutrition Programme (WBNP) Scheme and Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) Sabla at the earliest.
Asserting on the demand, the student body called a press conference in Imphal West and asserted that the department should concede to their demand at the earliest.
Spokesperson, Majabung Gangmei said, the student body will initiate all forms of agitation, unless, the department fail to provide the benefits of the schemes to the people at the earliest.
Majabung lamented that not only has the department failed to lift the state quota of rice which was supposed to be distributed to the whole state population under the WBNP for the year 2012-13, but the state quota for the year 2013-14 is yet to be lifted.
It is because of the department’s failure to conduct proper tender for the selection of the contractor, for which a case is still pending in the court, he said.
Further questioning on the problems of the department, he had also asserted that the department need to take up steps to ensure full provisions of the schemes’ benefits to the people of the state.
He further charged that the department officials have misappropriated the provisions of the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) Sabla which was launched in three districts of the state in 2012 on a trial basis.
Elaborating further he said, under the scheme rice was supposed to be provided to 34092 beneficiaries of the three districts of Imphal West, Chandel and Senapati- who are under the ICDS project sponsored by the ministry of Woman and Child, New Delhi.
Imphal West has 1598 centres and 15749 beneficiaries; Chandel has 546 centres and 5433 beneficiaries while, Senapati has 1195 centres and 12910 beneficiaries of the scheme.
Under the said scheme, a total of 429 metric tonnes of rice have been allocated to the state, and the second and third quarter allocations of the scheme have also been lifted by the department recently according to the norms of the centre.
Although, distribution of rice has been taken up through Angannwadi centres and mini angannwadi centres, the distribution of rice has been different in the districts, he said before adding, that in Chandel, the distribution is 65 kg per centre, 50 kg per centre in Senapati and 75 kg per centre in Imphal West.
Meanwhile, condemning the death of Arunachal Pradesh student, Nido Taniam following a scuffle over his hair colour and the assault of two Manipuri women in the national capital, he said the ATSUM demand befitting punishment against all involved in the two crimes.
He said crimes including rape, molestation, assault against the people of the region have been on the rise in the national capital; however, justice has not been delivered in a single case, he added.
Several committees have been formed, but to no avail, he lamented.
He decried the CMs of the region for remaining silent on the issue and further question what the Delhi government led by Arvind Kejriwal has done regarding the death of Nido and the assault of the two Manipuri women on January 25.
Such acts of suppressing the people of the region are not tolerable, he said.
The incidents are insulting to the people of NE, and particularly to the people of Manipur, he said before urging the governments of the region to act up.
