The Manipur Peoples' Democratic Front (MPDF) on Sunday said none of the welfare schemes launched by the state government has been able to eradicate poverty from the state and termed the Manipur government an ‘Operation was successful but the patient died government’.
Although both the Central and the state governments introduced many welfare schemes for the marginalised groups, they are still unable to address the sufferings of the poor, said MPDF secretary Sapam Samungou while speaking to the media at the Manipur Press Club in Imphal West on Sunday.
Samungou pointed out that the prices of the essential food products are increasing day by day amid the financial crisis faced by the maximum of the population of the state.
Although it might not give any effect to those having high income, it gives a big impact in the livelihood of the labourers and the farmers, especially during this pandemic, he added.
It is unfortunate that the government remains a mute spectator when the grocery stores and outlets are selling the commodities at a rate as per their whims and the passenger vehicles are collecting fares in the same manner, Samungou added.
"Reducing the price at a reasonable rate is an easy task for the government if they wish to," he further said, suggesting introducing a specific card with which the poor may avail goods at cheap rate.
The PDS rice and the wage from the MGNREGS job cannot run a family, the secretary added.
Considering all these, he on behalf of MPDF appealed to the state government to take up necessary measures to ensure that the essential food items are available to the common people at an affordable rate.
