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Neglected
again?
According to the Union
Ministry of Rural Development, Government of
India, a total of Rs 577.22 crore has been
sanctioned to eight North Eastern States including
Manipur since 1999 under the "Accelerated Rural
Drinking Water Supply Program, Prime Minister's
Gramodaya Yojana (Drinking Water Supply) and
Central Rural Sanitation Program. The money has
been released to achieve the target of safe
drinking water for all rural habitations by
2004.The Ministry further claims that out of the
97,924 habitations in the eight North Eastern
States 71 percent is fully covered and 26.62
percent is partially covered by the programs.
This "achievement"
is published in the form of an advertisement in
most of the dailies in the North East including
this daily. The fund released is meant for water
supply and sanitation, as per the Ministry's
report card. There may be a wide gap between the
claim being made by the Rural Development Ministry
and the
actual implementation of the programs in Manipur,
but what surprises one is the fact that Manipur is
provided with only a small portion of whole amount
of Rs 577.22 crore.
As a matter of
fact, Manipur’s share accounts for only Rs 19.80
crore. The amount provided to Sikkim, which has a
geographical area of only one third of Manipur, is
much higher than the sum provided to Manipur.
Sikkim got Rs 31.81 crore. A break up of the total
amount to the eight States makes interesting
reading. Mizoram got 56.23 crore, Nagaland 60.74
crore, Tripura is fortunate to secure 83.16 crore
while Arunachal Pradesh is given more than one
hundred crore.
This column has
nothing against providing more funds to other
States, but one question may be raised why Manipur
is provided only a meager sum. Is it because of
lack of response from the State Government or the
Central's unwillingness to give funds on a par
with the other sister States?
The disparity in
providing funds to the sister States defies logic.
Now the State Assembly session is on and this
question may be discussed. There is a feeling,
whether it is true or not, amongst Manipuris that
the Centre has always been apathetic to Manipur.
If the claim that this has not been the case is
true then the rural Development Ministry owes an
explanation to the people of Manipur for the
meager fund. The State Government should also not
remain a silent spectator, if it is not the main
culprit.
Manipur has not been able to provide safe drinking
water to the whole of its capital city, not to
talk of rural areas. The majority of the people
living in Imphal city have been buying water for
the last many years. The Kangla moat has been the
major source. In rural areas community tanks and
ponds are the perennial source of water. But these
too are drying up very fast, causing hardships to
the villagers. If the claim made by the Rural
Development Ministry is to be believed, almost all
the villages of Manipur are getting safe drinking
water. Any takers?
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)
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