“Time to teach corrupt representatives a lesson”

IMPHAL, August 24: The Manipuri Chanura Leishem Marup (Macha Leima) has appealed to the rural people to teach the corrupt representatives a lesson in the ensuing elections for Zilla Parishad members, Pradhan and Ward members.

Macha Leima is an organisation actively working for empowerment of rural women through the use of the Right to Information Act (RTI).

A statement of the organisation said, every year the government of India sanctions crores of rupees for the rural areas through different schemes like the NREGS and Indira Awas Yojana.

But only 15 percent reaches the rural people while the rest is being swindled by politicians and employees of the concerned department which had come out in the open through RTI queries, the statement said.

Even as five long years have gone by, there are still hundreds of ignorant people whose job cards and pass books had been withheld by the Zilla Parishad members, Pradhans and Ward members.

By withholding the job cards and the pass books the representatives takes out the money meant for the beneficiaries by forging signatures, the statement said.

The Macha Leima statement said, people should expose such corrupt representatives and desist from voting for them in the ensuing elections which would be a fitting lesson.

It also appealed to the rural voters not be awed by electoral bribes during elections as this is the right time to drive a message home that corrupt elements would not be tolerated.