SHILLONG: “Empathise with the plight of the people in rural areas”, was a fervent prayer of the traditional heads and residents under Mawryngkneng Block as they claimed that they are facing shortage in food supplies.
During a meeting on Thursday at Mawryngkneng, Sordar of Mawryngkneng, Peter Lawai, said that residents are facing tremendous pressure as the labourers and farmers are without work and are unable to feed their family coupled with the inadequate stock available with the retailers/shopkeepers.
He said that it is disheartening to see that there are shops identified by the government but do not possess enough supplies to cater to their customers.
“There is not enough stock of rice or sugar. Even after the retailers get the pass to reach Shillong for supplies, they are able to procure only a single sack of rice, which is not enough at all,” Lawai said.
Till date, the government has not worked out any of the population statistics, which makes it difficult for distribution to households as the retailers in Mawryngkneng are getting only 5-10 packets of rice.
The traditional heads under Mawryngkneng Block have offered to give their schools as well as community halls to stock essential commodities if the Shillong godown cannot accommodate much. He said that the retailers from Mawryngkeng would stand in line the whole day to get their supplies either at Cantonment or Anjalee.
Other than the limited stocks, Lawai said that price of rice and other commodities have increased.
“They are distributing the essentials in lumpsum without taking into account the statistics,” he said.
He informed that roughly there are 4,020 families who do not have access to PDS.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Overgreen Lawai, a retailer in Mawryngkneng, said the retailers faced many problems including issues with standing in a congested line which poses health risk.
“There have been times when the wholesaler said that there the stock was exhausted and we had to rush from one shop to another,” he said.
He informed that he has 2-3 sacks of rice and said that the stock is enough for his customers, although he has to take into account the transportation cost as well.
However, he expressed concern over the rise in price of the essential items. “The wholesalers have no time to reply, they only said to take if I want to take. I have no choice but to buy at a high price,” he said.
Overgreen said that it is humanly incorrect to charge such high rates as the poor would be left out.
Tili Sohtun, a lady who sells vegetables, said that there is no market for vegetables and the rotten ones will be reserved as fodder for pigs.
She said that most of the vegetables are from outside the state except for one or two types of vegetables.
“The customers are also struggling. They have no choice but to buy the vegetables,” she said.
Another retailer, Aitimon Japang, said that the stock for their customers is very inadequate. “My mother stood in line the whole day only to return the next day with less stock,” she said.
She also said that the price is high and the situation is pathetic as the population is in large numbers. “We have to think of them too, we are trying to support them,” she said.
A fair price shop dealer, Skhemlang Pyngrope, said that the rice for March has not arrived yet. “Life during lockdown is a struggle as people are not able to get any labour-like job. We have to be satisfied with this,” he said.
There are a total of 282 families availing the benefits of ration rice but the head of the locality, Main Road, Wanteilang Kharsahnoh, said that the amount of rice is not sufficient to feed the poor families. He has requested for some well-to-do families to donate for the interest of the poor.
Another retailer, Hildalin Lyngdoh Nonglait, had her shop near empty as she returned with no supplies from Shillong on Thursday.
“There are many poor families. My family is also struggling, but how can I bear to see others go without food while we still have something to eat?” she said.
She said that on going to Shillong, she would return with only two sacks of rice which is not enough to feed the residents of the locality. Hildalin said that she dabbles in farming also.
Again, she voiced her concern on the rising price and the ever-changing notification of the district administration. “I was informed to go to the market to get the items but when I went there, I was surprised to see that there was nothing,” she said.
The traditional heads are worried about people not getting enough food as labour and farmers are having a hard time. With the labourers getting registered with the government, the heads have called for disbursement of funds at the earliest.
