Non tribals getting benefits, tribals being deprived, claim NGOs
NONGPOH: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) North Khasi Hills District and Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) Northern Region on Friday forcibly stopped a programme organised to distribute ration cards to newly registered BPL families of Nongpoh area at Sajer Community Hall.
The two organisations demanded immediate halt to distribution of ration cards claiming that most of the ration cards were benefitting only the non tribals since only a handful of indigenous tribal people had been enrolled under the BPL category.
Led by HNYF Northern Region president Marcus Marten and KSU NKHD assistant education secretary Elfin Umlong, members of the two organisations pressurized the authorities to stop distribution of the BPL ration cards and resolve the issue with the competent authority of the Ri Bhoi Food and Civil Supply department.
Speaking to newsmen later, Marten and Umling said they had opposed the manner of selection of the beneficiaries under the BPL category as most of the beneficiaries were from the non tribal communities.
They also asserted that they would not allow further distribution of ration cards until and unless the BPL list was verified and the genuine sections of poor families was included in the list.
“We strongly oppose the present list since more than 70 per cent of the beneficiaries belong to the non tribal community,” Umlong said, adding that the organizations will take up the matter with the higher authorities of the district administration for final verification of the beneficiaries’ list.
Meanwhile, in reply to a query, Sub Inspector of Food and Civil Supply, Nongpoh, V.M. Khongwir informed that the ration cards were distributed as per the instruction of the higher authorities and the list was based on the Socio Economic Census, 2011.
She also informed that the beneficiaries who were enrolled in the BPL list would get the facilities under the National Food Security Act and further added that their names cannot be deleted from the list until and unless there is intervention by the higher authority.