Imphal, December 18 2008: A woman job card holder, who had filed an application to the BDO Imphal East seeking information on National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) under the Rights to Information Act, has alleged she was threatened to withdraw the application by Panchayat members.

According to information received by the press, on December 8, Moirangthem Ongbi Ibemchoubi Leima of Takhel Gram Panchayat in Imphal East district filed the application to the BDO under RTI Act seeking information on the number of NREGS job card holders in ward nos 6 and 7 of Takhel Gram Panchayat, their ages, addresses and names of parents/husbands.

But the application has raised the hackles of some Panchayat members who insisting that she withdraw the application.

In connection with this rare case, a team of media-persons had gone to Takhel today and met the Pradhan of Takhel Gram Panchayat Yumkhaibam Biren.

Talking to mediapersons, the Pradhan said he came to know about the application when he went to the office of Imphal East DC a couple of days back to submit the bill of the works executed under the NREGS.

While informing that staff of the office had told him not to allow filing of such applications as it disturb their work, Biren admitted that there might be some discrepancies with regard to ages of the job card holders in his Gram Panchayat.

In all 938 job cards have been issued, the Pradhan added.

Concerned over the filing of the application, a public meeting attended mostly by the job card holders was reportedly held at Takhel Lai Lampak yesterday.

Apart from resolving that Ibemchoubi should withdraw her application, the complainant was reprimanded why she had gone to file the application directly at the DC office instead of first taking up the matter with the Panchayat.

When contacted, Ibemchoubi said she had only wanted to know some informations, but 'they' are angry with her.

In yesterday's meeting attended by the Pradhan himself, Ibemchoubi said, she heard over the PA system that she should be banished from the locality.

After the meeting, three Panchayat members accompanied by some villagers also came to her house insisting that she withdraw the application.

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