Lamka, November 04 2008: Saying any percentage cut or demanding quotas from essential commodities such as the PDS at a time when the majority of the people in Churachandpur district have little or nothing to harvest, Zomi Economic Planning and Development Agency (ZEPADA) today asked the insurgents to lay their hands off PDS items and other famine related measures.

Contending that no substantive assistance has come forth from the Government despite the crores of money earmarked for combating famine, the frontal organisation said the only solace at the present circumstances was be the existing PDS rice which is extremely inadequate.

With the confirmation that majority of the people in the district have little or nothing to harvest, the agency said it made the desperate appeal to all sections of the society to extend humanitarian assistance to the cause of the famine affected people.

It also appealed to the state and non-state actors, including armed revolutionaries to kindly lay their hands off PDS and other relief measures.

"Any percentage cut or demanding privileges/quotas from such essential commodities while the people are starving will be negation of humanitarian cause," it said adding, smooth flow of life saving commodities to the famine affected people are essential at this critical period.

Affected by the cyclical famine since 2006, at least two districts including Churachandpur has been reeling under severe shortage of food-grains due to bamboo flowering and its subsequent rodent menace.

Information recieved from the Union Agriculture Ministry through the RTI Act by one S Khupminthang, Chairman ZEPADA working group, Rs.5.56 crores in 2005-06, Rs.5.72 crores in 2006-07, Rs.5.89 crores in 2007-08 and Rs.6.06 crores in 2008-09 have been allocated to the State for providing assistance in the wake of natural calamities under Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) and another Rs.12.93 crores in May 2007 and 49.37 crores in February 2008 under National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) has been approved for assistance but nothing, worth mentioning has been done by the Ibobi led SPF Government in which two Cabinet Ministers from the district are present.

The Govt of Manipur seems to see no reason in providing assistance to its own people when the Central Government has set aside such a huge fund for the same.

The bogus claim of obtaining rodent tails and dissemination of rodenticides and other materials besides non-utilisation of the calamity funds has corroborated the case all the more.

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