Awareness cum complaint hearing held at Moreh
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 04 2012:
A oneday Educational Awareness cum Complaint hearing programme was held organised on September 1 at Moreh Pangaltabi L P School, by Manipuri Muslims Council, Moreh under the aegis of Manipur State Minorities Commission.
Agriculture Minister Md Abdul Nasir, Wabagai A/C MLA Md Fajur Rahim, Education (S) Deputy Secretary MA Salam, Commission Chairperson IAS (Retd) A Halim Chowdhury, Commission secretary Dr Md Raheijuddin Sheikh, Meitei Council President, Muslim Council President, Tamil Sangam President, Hill Tribal Council Members, public leaders, students and womenfolk attended the event.
The complaint hearing was related to various Beneficiary Oriented Schemes meant for the minorities which are being implemented by the Government.
In the evening, a community level quiz programme for students on the theme "Let's learn and live together" was participated by about 300 students from five schools of the area.
Prizes worth Rs 10,000 was sponsored by MLA of Kshetrigao A/C Md Amin Shah, for the quiz competition.
In his keynote address, Deputy Secretary (Education-S) MA Salam stressed the need for holding such awareness programmes on a regular basis at different venues for dissemination of information to the general public regarding various welfare schemes under the right to education act (RTE) .
a leaflet containing basic information of various schemes implemented by the Department of Education (Schools) was also distributed to all who attended the awareness programme.
On the otherhand, Commission Secretary Dr.Md.Raheijuddin Sheikh presented a brief account on the welfare schemes for Minorities mentioned in the Prime Minister's 15 Point Programme, launched by the Government of India.
An interaction programme during the Complaint Hearing focused on the grievances of the people of Moreh, especially the minorities, difficulties in getting the benefits, dire economic hardship of the minorities including problems faced by the women potters and education of children under the RTE Act.
Deprivation of rights of getting Old Age Pension by the senior citizens, shortage of school uniforms under the SSA scheme, policy for development of the Madrassah education, etc were some of the complaints aired at the Hearing.
Chairperson A halim Chowdhury reiterated that the Commission was established in 2004 as a one-man commission in which he was nominated as the Chairperson and continuing to hold the same till date, along with one secretary under utilization basis and two staff members only.
The Commission became a statutory body with the enactment of the Manipur State Minorities Commission Act 2010 with the induction of two more members.
However, there is no increment in the staff strength till date thereby resulting in the Commission having to endure various hardships in effective functioning, conceded the Chairperson.
Inspite of the Chief Minister in his address on Minorities rights day in December 18 last declaring that all necessary staff shall be provided, the assurance is yet to materialise likely to be owing to procedural lapses, observed the former bureaucrat.
He also drew attention of the Chief minister to expedite relevant process for post creation/staff appointments of the Commission.
The quiz programme on 'Let's Learn and Live Together' was participated by five teams of four students each.
The participants represented Moreh Higher Sec.
School, Dr.Colvin Academy, Eastern Shine School, St.
George School and Netaji Memorial Academy.
Moreh Higher Secondary School bagged the first position followed by Dr Colvin Academy in second.
Prizes to the position winners as well as consolation prizes were distributed by Md Amir Hussain, president of Youth Congress Committee (I) on behalf of the sponsor MLA Md.Amin Shah.