AIZAWL, Dec 29 - Mizoram Government has been making preparations to implement the National Food Security Scheme by February next, State Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister John Rotluangliana today said.
Rotluangliana said the scheme could not be implemented during September last, the deadline fixed by Centre and the State Government was compelled to defer the implementation twice due to unavoidable circumstances.
He said the last attempt to implement the scheme in November fizzled out due to complaints from Opposition parties on the appointment of village-level selection committees.
Of the 11 lakh population of the State, a little over 7,06,000 people would be covered by the scheme under which each person would be entitled to receive five kgs of rice at the rate of Rs 3 per kg.
The State Government has been making arrangements to provide food to the entire population of the State at a higher rate of Rs 15 a kg, he added.
Reward: Mizoram Government has announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh each for anyone giving information leading to the arrest of five militants of Manipur-based Hmar People�s Convention (Democrats) who were involved in the ambush of members of a State Assembly Committee on March 28 this year.
Three policemen were killed in the ambush of the team of the State Assembly Committee, an official statement of the State Home Department said.
The militants are � Thanglawmvel, Rinsang and Lalrohuol from Manipur and Lalchawimawia and Jacob, both from Mizoram.
One of the leaders of the Hmar militants who ambushed the team of the Assembly Committee, Malsawmkima, who deserted the State armed police, was gunned down in an encounter with the police on May 8 last inside Manipur.
Reuben Lalrammawia, another militant involved in the ambush, was arrested on September 22 at Hmarkhawlien village in Assam while the commander of the group Lalbiakliana was nabbed inside Manipur on October 16.
State Home Minister R Lalzirliana said there could never be peace negotiations with the HPC (D) unless the latter returned all the weapons snatched from the policemen in the March 28 ambush. � PTI
