IMPHAL, November 23: Despite the generous Annapurna scheme of Central government implemented for the people below poverty line, little or no benefits of the scheme have been reaching the beneficiaries since August 2012 claimed a group of beneficiaries.
According to them after AK Mirabai came to be the Social Welfare Minister of State from August 2012, the beneficiaries of these schemes have not got their entitlements of ration.
The Annapurna scheme was implemented in order to give free ration to destitute old age persons of 60 years and above, who do not have anyone to care for them, under the sponsor of National Social Assistant Programme of government of India.
The scheme allotted 10 Kg per rice head without any cost but the scheme is a total failure in the State. Many of the beneficiaries are even under the impression the scheme has been dissolved from Manipur.
The beneficiaries alleged that the scheme was implemented under a directive of Supreme Court order which spelled out in no uncertain terms that each beneficiary must get their quota regularly. By not following the directive, the Manipur government may actually be attracting penal action for contempt of the apex court, they said.
The scheme was launched during the last NDA government led by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But unfortunately since the last two years the Manipur beneficiaries have stifled of their rights.
The beneficiaries of the Annapurna scheme appealed that they are in dire straits now and called upon the government to take note of their suffering.
They said they have complained on numerous occasions to the concerned district Social Welfare Departments but the only reply has been that they too are helpless as the government has not issued the material to be disbursed to the beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries have also queried with the Government of Manipur openly through the newspapers, asking it if the scheme has been scrapped from Manipur. If so, it also pleaded with the government to take up alternative arrangement so as to mitigate their suffering.
The destitute seniors lamented the government do not seem to care for the rights of poor people and without scrupples would even deprive them of the little benefits they are entitled through such schemes as Annapurna.