Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 09:
With the State Govt having officially conferred the Schedule Caste status on the people of Chairen area under Thoubal Dist, SC certificates were distributed to the locals of the area in a simple function today.
Commerce and Industries Minister N Mangi Singh, Planning and Development Authority (PDA) Chairman K Ranjit and Thoubal DC P Vaiphei attended the function as the chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
Speaking at the fucntion, Industries Minister N Mangi said that despite being known as a Scheduled Caste for the last 40/50 years, the people of the area have not been able to enjoy the benefits given by the Central Govt to the SC people as the State Govt had refused to issue SC certificates.
He however asserted that SC certificate would become useless and meaningless unless one works hard in this cut throat world.
In his presidential speech, MLA K Ranjit claimed that the people of Sugnu and Kumbi also belong to the SC category and therefore SC certificates should also be issued to the people of these areas and further said that other sections of the society should not feel jealous when SC certificates are issued to a particular community as it would not hurt their interest.
Thoubal DC P Vaiphei who also spoke on the occasion said that the decision to issue SC certificates to the people of Chairen was taken after all the necessary qualifications provided by the Constitution for conferring SC status were found fulfilled during the inquiry conducted by the Govt officials.
Later after the distribution function, K Ranjit who is the elected representative of Sungu Assembly Constituency met the locals of his constituency and donated Rs 30,000 and Rs 70,000 for digging a pond at Pangaltabi and renovating Pangaltabi High School respectively from his Local Area Development Fund.