ZEPADA to blockade supporters

S Singlianmang Guite

Lamka, Nov 11: After calling on armed groups to lay their hands off relief material, the forefront organisa- tion ZEPADA today plea-ded to supporters of ban- dhs, strikes and blockades along the State and National Highways to spare all rice laden trucks on humanitarian grounds.

A statement issued by the agency said the hungry public of Churachandpur finally heaved a sigh of relief on hearing the release of Mautam famine relief funds to the district administrators concerned.

Hailing the Government, NGOs and the media fraternity for their generous contribution to the cause of the affected people, ZEPADA said, the relief assistance amounting to Rs 16.67 crores may be too little considering the enormity of the calamity but it will surely give moral strength and the much needed solace to the famine affected people.

Approving the recent development, yet wary of the situation, the agency expressed the need to re-assess and update the crop damages. “Whatever assistance that come from the Government and other agencies should reach the genuinely affected families without undue interferences from any quarters,” it said.

The mode of distribution should be unbiased, transparent and fully accounta- ble, it added. The agency also called on the Government as well as other civil societies concerned never to stop working to prevent famine deaths in the days to come.

“Only concerted efforts will take us through this tough time in life that revisit us every fifty years”, it said. Houses attacked: Unidentified gunmen fired shots at the Wabagai Tera Urak residence of Zonal Education Officer, Kakchi-ng Zone Mayengbam Ku- mar (59) at around 10 pm yesterday.

There is however no report of injury or damage of property in the firing incident. About half an hour earlier another report of firing has been received from police of unidentified persons attacking the Wabagai Awang Leikai of Wabagai Bazar Board’s secretary identified as one Mayeng-bam Ibochouba (70).

In yet another incident, unidentified persons repor-tedly confiscated official documents (files) kept at the Churachandpur Old Bazar residence of Md Rahman, who works as a Cashier in the Khuga Canal Div I of IFC department. The incident took place at about 5 am today, said police sources.

Source: The Sangai Express