HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, April 7: The Rising People’s Party (RPP) on Sunday urged the Nagaland food and civil supplies department to publicise the list of beneficiaries for distribution of rice under the tide-over category within 10 days in the interest of transparency and accountability.
In a release, the party said the matter is serious as the issue pertains to the distribution of 3,17,563.04 MT of tide-over rice issued by the Union ministry of consumer affairs to the state between 2018 and (October) 2024.
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Quoting RTI documents, it said it was surprising that the department claimed not to have the names of beneficiaries under the tide-over category. It said as per the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, letter no. F.NO.15-33/2015-NFSA dated 7th December 2015, the states were directed to “digitize beneficiary database and upload in the state portal before the implementation of the NFSA, 2013”.
Further, the RPP said, as per the ministry’s letter no. F. No. 15-62/2022-NFSA dated 27/01/2023, “The state government shall place the list of the identified eligible households in the public domain and display it prominently.”
According to the party, in another strange claim, the department said “the distribution of rice is done by the stockiest themselves”.
“Be as it may, the stockiest/handling agents/ carriage contractors should be having the names of the beneficiaries,” it said.
The party, therefore, urged commissioner and secretary of the department to upload these names in public domain, such as department website, state portal, etc.
Manipur MLA to challenge Waqf Amendment Act in Supreme Court
IMPHAL, April 7: Manipur legislator Sheikh Noorul Hassan on Monday said he will challenge the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, in the Supreme Court.
In a video message, Hassan, a National People’s Party MLA, said, “The Waqf Amendment Act 2025 violates the rights of Muslims. I personally condemn and reject this Act. I will challenge it in the Supreme Court.”
In a separate development, the Manipur BJP strongly condemned the torching of the house of its Minority Morcha president Md Asker Ali by a mob.
In a statement, the BJP condemned the incident and assured that “such unfortunate incidents shall not happen in the future.”
Ali’s house at Lilong in Thoubal district was set on fire on Sunday for allegedly supporting the Act.
Following the incident, Ali posted a video on social media, apologising for his earlier statement. (PTI)
