IMPHAL, April 12: The MOBC schemes beneficiaries are selected after rigorous screening by concern authorities in order to ensure the benefits reach the needy and poor only said Amin Shah, Parliamentary Secretary MOBC, Schedule Cast, Science and Technology, and Fishery, Government of Manipur.
Delivering a speech in a simple function of distributing tins, fingerlings, and machineries at his resident at Kshtrigao Bengun for Kshetrigao constituency, he said that as the state`™s financial situation is facing constraints, selecting beneficiaries of MOBC is becoming very difficult. The numbers of beneficiary for 2013-14 has reduced from previous years as authorities this time have selected only genuine beneficiaries through proper screening.
He further said that under the MOBC schemes housing, fishery, embroidery and tailoring are included for minority and OBC communities. The total numbers of beneficiaries is 264 households from OBC and another 264 from minority Muslims for whole state, he added.
He said that the numbers of beneficiaries are much less than those applying in each constituency. For his constituency there are 65 beneficiaries for housing for OBC and 55 for minority Muslim; for fishery 77 for OBC and 80 for Muslim; for embroidery and tailoring 20 for OBC and 20 for minority Muslim. These have been distributed accordingly needs, he said.
He said a number of the beneficiaries were given benefit from his own personal funds, he further said.
He said that in 2013-14, around 10,000 beneficiaries applied and from them only 500 ended up as beneficiaries. This being the case, selection has been very difficult, he said.
The Chief Minister has also pressured the Central government for increase in the number of beneficiaries for Manipur, he said.
During the selection of beneficiaries for Kshetrigao constituency, polling committee members were engaged to ensure the benefits reached only the most deserving.
He appealed to the people covered by MOBC schemes to use the items received properly and to uplift themselves. He said he was dismayed to hear of some individual who sold their items distributed by MOBC.
He said many rich people also slyly apply, so the concerned authorities in each constituency have to be on the alert.