By Eric Calvin Ranee
MYNSAIN: Adding a dash of pain to inflicted miseries, a woman in her mid-thirties, who faced woes of being deserted by her husband earlier, now has to undergo the pangs of seeing her rights as a beneficiary of the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) being violated by the Rangbah Shnong.
This is a disheartening saga of Samtila Ronghang of Mynsian Village under Umroi Constituency and Umsning C&RD Block, about 60 kilometers from Nongpoh.
She tied the nuptial knot twelve years back but was deserted by her husband weeks after she delivered their last child who is now three years old following which she became mentally unstable. The husband left her to fend for the five children and abcence of a compulsory Registration of Marriage Act in the state meant that the woman has to undergo all the torment.
Due to her current mental health, two of her children aged 7 and 9 years respectively stay with her eldest sister Prettywan Ronghang in Mynsain.
However, the painful life of Samtila was given a ray of hope in 2009 when she was selected as a beneficiary of the IAY, a centrally sponsored scheme aiming at providing a two room house to BPL families. A total amount of Rs 38000 was allotted to her for the purpose of constructing the house under the scheme.
The joy though was shortlived for Samtila as Mynsain Rangbah Shnong, Ribok Makhroh misused his authority when he told the family that he would take up the construction work of the house, which is a gross violation of the provision of the IAY as the engagement of contractors is prohibited and construction of such house is the sole responsibility of the beneficiary.
Informing this scribe about the mis-utilization of the scheme by the Rangbah Shnong, Prettywan said that Makhroh assured the beneficiary that he would complete the construction of the house within a period of three weeks. However, what followed was consistent delay on part of the Rangbah Shnong who failed to give any proper reason for the same.
Left with no option, the eldest sister took up the matter with local MLA Stanley Wiss Rymbai and Umsning BDO, who immediately conducted a spot inspection and found out that the Rangbah Shnong had already withdrawn Rs 15000 for construction purposes. After much struggle, Prettywan managed to secure the rights of her sister and obtained Rs 13000 from the BDO’s office which was utilized in partial construction of the house. The BDO assured her the release of the remaining amount of Rs.10000 but till date after the passage of three years the money is yet to be released for reason best known to them. The BDO had also assured Prettywan that he will direct the Rangbah Shnong to reimburse the money which he withdrew. But till date nothing has materialised.
The question that arises is when the matter had come to the knowledge of the concerned authorities why was no legal action initiated against the Rangbah Shong as per the law of the land.
Meanwhile, a team of HNYF Bhoirymbong Circle under leadership of its vice president S Rympei conducted a spot inspection of Samtila’s house on Saturday. Painfully, fearing the arrival of strangers at her doorstep, Santila hid herself under the bed and came out only she was called out by her sister.
The HNYF has condemned the action of the Rangbah Shnong and demanded that the money due to Samtila from the IAY scheme be returned within a week time failing which they will resort to action.