Civil servants to boost food security measures in Ukhrul
Source: The Sangai Express / Addie Chiphang
Ukhrul, September 12 2012:
In a gesture appeciable as it sounds, the 2006 batch of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers have initiated to contribute Rs 500 each toward the realisation of food security in Ukhrul District for ten years.
This was stated by the Deputy Commissioner of Ukhrul R Sudhan, a 2006 batch IAS officer while speaking as the Chief Guest of the Distribution and Exhibition Day of Women Bread Winners' Union (WBWU) at Greenland (Mayorum tang) Community Hall here today.
The Deputy Commissioner, while lauding the efforts of womenfolks in providing food security to the people, assured the women folks that as part of his contribution in the food security measures of the district, all the 89 members of 2006 batch of IAS officers and who are at present serving in different parts of India, will contribute Rs 500 each from their respective salary so that the WBWU can have wider reach in providing food security to the people of the district.
Presently WBWU's reach is confined to Ukhrul town.
The Deputy Commissioner asked the women union to convert it into district level society where they can have wider reach.
The union was established way back in August 2006 by more than 100 women farmers in response to the worldwide call for food security by saving paddy through contributions amongst the members.
Every year during lean season this women union puts up the paddy for distributions among members.
This year more than 400 tins of paddy were distributed among the members at the rate of 5 tins (each tin contains 15-18kgs) per member as part of the society's thrift policy.
In turn each member will return 6 tins each for the society's granary based at the traditional Tangkhul system of Thakum where the interest rate was based at low rate quantity.
Apart from the thrift policy of paddy the society also deals in recycling of waste plastics where they convert it into usable items like baskets, bags, flower pots etc.
Chairperson of the Union Veronica Zingkhai told the media persons at the side-line of the function that the society's main objective is to provide food security through the initiative of women folks side by side with ushering in a sense of thrift awareness.
Lauding the efforts of womenfolks, Sudhan termed the initiative as 'what the nation wants' and assured contributions from his batch IAS officers not less than Rs 25,000 every month for ten years, other than Government assistance, in order to stabilize the society's food security policy.