Imphal, October 30 2008: Even though the various offices of the Government departments at the district and block level have been entrusted with the task of revamping their functioning keeping in mind the target of achieving equitable development of all the States in the country by 2020, in Machi block of Chandel district functioning of all the Government offices including the police outpost has been paralysed with lack of adequate staff and absenteeism being the hallmark.

Upgraded to the status of a block along with issuing a gazette by the Government in 1996, office buildings and quarters of the SDC, Electricity, Water Supply, Health and Education have been set up and started functioning in Machi block.

Subsequently, under the Tengnoupal Police Station, a police out post equipped with necessary infrastructures and manpower had also come up in Machi block in 1980.But today, the police outpost is existing only in name sake with only two or three personnel manning it from the crumbling building.

The fate of the other Government offices in the block has also been the same with employees playing truant from their duties after the first few initial months.

Participating in a press conference convened jointly by All Tribal Women's Organisation, Rural People's Development Federation, Machi Block Action Committee and Machi Block Chiefs' Association at Machi village today, the villagers complained against the lack of Government initiatives in ensuring the functioning of the Government offices and taking up developmental works in the area.

They informed that covering over a total of 75 villages, the total population of Machi Block is around 20,000 people.

But these people have not received any benefit of the developmental works being taken up by the Government as none of the Government offices in the area have been functioning for the last many years.

The villagers also disclosed that the construction of the Inter Village Road from Kakching Lamkhai to Khunuthabi under the Central funding has been stopped after covering only a short distance.

Highlighting other inconveniences of the people, general secretary of All Tribal Women's Organisation Shiltvim Sangshawa disclosed that the people of the block have not received any of the PDS items in time nor the entitled quantity in full.

Moreover, the PDS agents also do not open their shops regularly.

It is also not known how many BPL and AAY card holders are there in the block.

Vice president of Rural People's Development Federation M Wonlimla said that the people have been facing lot of difficulties as there is no adequate staff and equipments in the primary health centre of the block nor have they received any benefit under the National Maternity Benefit scheme.

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