Sotinkumar urged the state government to do whatever necessary to provide the required foods under the NFSA to the people.
TFM Report
Communist Party of India, Manipur State Council on Sunday slammed the recent order by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to reduce the rice grain quota of the state under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) from more than 13,000 metric tons to just around 10,000 metric tons, terming it “slashing the empty stomachs of the poor”.
Speaking to media persons at the Irawat Bhawan, BT Road, Imphal, CPI Manipur State Council secretary Laishram Sotinkumar said that the ministry’s order was unacceptable amidst the hardships being faced by the people of the state and the country as a whole.
On the reason for the reduction of the rice grain quota that the number of people in seeding their Aadhaar in the state was low, Sotinkumar lashed out at the government asking, “why should the people suffer when the authorities failed to perform their duties?”
He also questioned how a bag of rice is priced at more than Rupees 1000 at the market when it used to be available for just around Rupees 300 excluding different quotas.
Sotinkumar urged the state government to do whatever was necessary to provide the required foods under the NFSA to the people. Approach the union government or link the Adhaar or find any means, he asserted.
Recalling how the NFSA came into being, the CPI state secretary said that it was one of the 10 programmes or points which were agreed between the left parties and others when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was formed. Rice was provided for the poor at just Rupees 2 per kg and 100 days employment under the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) Act.
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led union government of trying to dismantle these programmes, he said that the allocation of funds for NFSA and the number of days for employment have been reduced ever since the BJP came to power.
The CPI state secretary also asserted that the party will continue to fight for the rights of the people.