The Rongmei Naga Students' Organisation Manipur (RNSOM) on Tuesday appealed to banks, landlords and all private money lenders of the state to exempt and waive off any form of rent, interests from tenants and debtors during the COV1D- 19 pandemic and sought cooperation from the various valley based students' organisations.
The organisation also draws attention of the government to consider the matter at the topmost level for the welfare of the people as everyone is battling the second wave of COVID-19, stated a release issued by general secretary Jeanthui Panmei.
The people of the state especially the students' community from hills district are facing double challenges since most of the parents are marginal farmers, daily wage earners and doing small business who earned their livelihood with capital borrowed from the private banks and other money lenders, it stated. These sections of people are now facing serious problems due to the sudden imposition of public curfew and total lock down by the state government with the alarming spreading of the second wave throughout the country, thereby causing complete halt to their earning, it added.
The release further stated that taking advantage of the current situation of lockdown enforced by the state government to battle the second wave of coronavirus, many traders and shopkeepers have created fake scarcity and intentionally hike prices of essential commodities like rice, pulses, oil etc., leaving many families to face the heat even more. It is an appeal to the state government to closely monitor such malpractices before the civil bodies take law into their hands, it added.
Raising deep concerns over the malpractices of rice distribution system in 2020 at various parts of the state amid the nationwide lockdown, RNSOM appealed to the government to strictly monitor the department concerned and agents, taking necessary measure to ensure fair and equal distribution across the state reaches the rightful beneficiaries during the prevailing pandemic, it added.
