IMPHAL, August 31: The government has not initiated any steps for the rehabilitation of Special Employment Generation Programme , SEGP beneficiaries by sanctioning funds for poverty eradication and as such the beneficiaries are now living in a hand to mouth condition by doing odd jobs for survival.
This was stated by All Manipur Selected (SEGP) Beneficiaries Committee general secretary Zakir Hussain in a press meet at the Manipur Press Club here today.
He said that the loans given are mainly in connection with agriculture products, poultry, fishery and other allied business.
On account of natural calamities such as bird flu, draught and frequent floods, many agricultural and fishery products are damaged, Hussain added.
Moreover, there are un-natural calamities faced by the people in the State mostly due to the frequent economic blockades imposed by anti-social elements and various NGOs of the hill districts which resulted in the failure of small schemes like SEGP in the State and besides the State government as well as the Union government have not taken any positive steps in this regard, he said.
In connection with the grievances faced by the beneficiaries, the committee had submitted memorandum on August 27, 2013 to the then Prime Minister of India, Union Minister of Finance and Chief Minister of Manipur and another memorandum was submitted again on June 19 this year to the Prime Minster, Union Minister of Finance of the current NDA government and the State Chief Minister.
The committee has also appealed to all the beneficiaries of the SEGP w.e.f 2004-2007 to come forward and join the ongoing demand for waiving loans given to the people of the State, he said.
The committee also urged to the State government to take up positive step for waiving the loans in the interests of the beneficiaries at the earliest.