The FKJGP today asked the State government to provide immediate financial assistance to poor people especially daily wagers who are facing severe economic hardship due to the ongoing lockdown imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic in the State.
In a statement issued here, FKJGP president Wellbirth Rani said though the lockdown was needed to stop the spread of the infection, at the same time there was need to address the plight of the poor and daily wage earners whose means of livelihood was lost due to the lockdown.
“Lockdown was required to contain the spread of the pandemic but at the same time the State government should have come up with effective strategies to ensure that the poor, the daily wagers and farmers were not impacted in terms of food and financial security,” Rani said.
Stating that most poor families in the State have been economically distressed and left to fend for themselves during the ongoing lockdown period, the FKJGP president said unless the State government reached out to them, the situation could turn worse and may result in massive public frustration.
The FKJGP leader also said that public representatives like MPs, MLAs and MDCs should come forward and help the people in this hour of crisis through their various schemes.
Moreover, the organisation expressed its dissatisfaction with the failure by the government and district authorities to convene meetings with local headmen on the Covid situation and seek their suggestions on various aspects.
“The success and failure of the war against Covid-19 lies on the close coordination between the government and local headmen,” it said.
Pointing out to the exploitation of farmers, the FKJGP said that farmers had to sell their produce at throwaway prices to traders at the markets permitted by authorities.
“In most localities and villages, vegetables are not available and even if they are available, they are sold at very high prices to consumers whereas the farmers are getting exploited daily by traders in terms of prices,” it said.
The FKJGP also urged the authorities to see that farmers bringing their produce to markets were not disturbed by police.
Meanwhile, the organisation sought the intervention of the State government in controlling the treatment cost in private hospitals.
“Most of the poor and underprivileged are hesitant to visit hospitals for treatment of any ailment including Covid-19 as they cannot afford to pay the hefty hospital bill costing lakhs of rupees,” the FKJGP added.
Lauding the government for the recent decision to increase the health insurance coverage from Rs 4900 to Rs 60,000 for Covid patients already enrolled in Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS), the FKJGP however said that there are more people who are yet to be enrolled in the scheme and it is the duty of the government to help them too.
