The All Manipur Tribals Development Grievances Forum (AMTDGF) on Wednesday declared indefinite economic blockade of National Highway-2 (Dimapur-Imphal) and National Highway-37 (Jiribam-Imphal) from November 3 midnight.
AMTDGF demanded the state government to release the fund sanctioned under MGNREGA, to all the districts of Manipur.
In a release jointly issued by its president Hesho Lorho and general secretary Gangonglung Khumba, the AMTDGF condemned the state government’s “adamant stand” on their demands for the release of the funds and declared the indefinite economic blockade of Highway-2 (Dimapur-Imphal) and Highway-37 (Jiribam-Imphal) from November 3 midnight onwards.
The tribal forum appealed for the support of the general people, truck and transports associations and CSOs to cooperate with AMTDGF and cautioned the people to be wary of “vested organisations masquerading to be service messengers of tribals and trying to mislead and confuse the people of the state through social media”.
“The forum had submitted a memorandum to CM N Biren on October 10 demanding the release of Rs 756,49,62,000 sanctioned under MGNREGA by the ministry of rural development, government of India, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi on June 23 of 2022,” it added. On the same date i.e. on October 10, the rural development and panchayati raj department under the state government had released Rs 1,000,000,000 to only 16 districts of Manipur under MGNREGA," it alleged.
It mentioned that AMTDGF had postponed the indefinite economic blockade through a release on October 20. In the release, the forum had declared that if the state government does not respond within October 30, the forum would impose indefinite economic blockade along the two highways till the release of the funds under MGNREGA to all the districts of Manipur, it added.
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