Reiterating their demand to implement the Integrated Cooperative Development Project (ICDP) in Manipur, irate women of cooperative societies of handloom and handicraft stormed at Chief Minister’s bungalow on Wednesday.
Addressing the media persons at the sidelines of the protest, one of the women working in Co-operative Society Khabam Maning Leikai Kangujam Tombi said that they have been demanding the state government to resume ICDP in the state which was cancelled in 2012.
In this regard, they have submitted a memorandum to the chief minister and recently locked the registrar office of Cooperative Society located at Lamphelpat. Even after this, the state government has not responded till date, she added.
She further said that due to no support from the state government in running the cooperative societies, they have been facing untold hardships. As such, they have been urging to facilitate the said project for three years. Even today, they have submitted another memorandum to the chief minister.
Co-operative societies play an immense role in promoting handicraft and handloom of the state and help in empowering many women economically. If the state government gives more attention in resuming the said project, there would be more development in this sector, she added while appealing to materialise their demand at the earliest.
While the women were trying to intensify the agitation, Imphal West SP arrived at the agitation site and controlled the situation.
