Manipur minister visited remote areas along Indo-Myanmar border:
Guwahati, April 23: Manipur minister visited areas along Indo-Myanmar border. Manipur Water Resources Minister Letpao Haokip ensured that any rice consuming person (non-infants) above the age of 2 years be given 5kg of rice per head in his constituency during the current critical times because of the lockdown of COVID-19.
Apart from the existing quarantine centers, the minister will push the government to set up more quarantine facilities as the districts of Chandel and Tengnoupal is a high-risk area because of its proximity with the international-border.
It is worth mentioning that the remote villages lying along the Indo-Myanmar border and innermost recesses of Chandel and Tengnoupal have been facing extreme hardship to get essential commodities owing to the lockdown.
Apart from the rice distributed under PMGKAY and OMSS schemes, he had arranged personally from his local MLA FUND and some additional fund amounting to 9 lakhs from his pocket to distribute rice to the 50 thousand-plus persons of his 41-Chandel Assembly Constituency.
The minister on Wednesday visited the remote villages of Chandel district such as Khambarol, Khengjoi, Sajik Tampak Kana Area and Sugnu Hill Area to distribute rice and other essential items.
Letpao said that, the number of voters differs by a double from the actual number of persons living in this constituency. So, he had arranged to ensure the reaching of rice to every person of the assembly constituency free of cost.
He added that even if the lockdown is extended for a longer period after May 3, he will ensure the availability of rice for his people free of cost always.
He also appealed that complaints should be made to him or the district administration if any individual or group is found to demand a single paise of money for this distribution from the public.
At Khambarol village, Letpao met with the MDC members and village chiefs of surrounding villages. The meeting discussed about implementing more effective methods of tackling effectively the global pandemic of COVID-19. There, he assured that more quarantine centres will be set up.
The minister also said that the issue of shortages in terms of medical equipments and testing facilities faced by the medical department offices located in this area will be brought to the notice of higher authorities and will be settled soon.
The Manipur minister appealed to the people of the villages he reached to maintain social distancing and other necessary guidelines and to extend full support to the district administration, police, and medical department officials.
