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Manipur’s agriculture minister V Hangkhalian inaugurated a COVID-19 Relief Bank for Churachandpur district at deputy commissioner’s office premises at Churachandpur district headquarters, reports reaching here said on Tuesday.

Deputy commissioner Pawan Yadav of Churachandpur district, Autonomous District Council (ADC) Churachandpur chairman T Paukhanlian, additional deputy commissioner Thangboi Gangte, additional superintendent of police Shivanand Surve, ADC members and other district officials attended the day’s inaugural function on Monday.

Inaugurating the relief bank, minister Hangkhalian who also holds the animal and husbandry portfolios expressing his willingness to donate masks to the relief bank, distributed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to the officials of the district including the police in a solemn function at Tuibong in the hill district.

Lauding the efforts of frontline workers, for their tireless efforts in fighting the dreaded virus, Hangkhalian who is the minister in charge of district, also assured adequate supply of essential items in the district during the lockdown.

Sharing his opinion, deputy commissioner Pawan Yadav of Churachandpur district said it is imperative that special focus should be given to the poor and the vulnerable in the ongoing measures for supply of the essential services during the lockdown.

The relief bank which is a joint initiative of district administration and ADC Churachandpur to fight against COVID-19 is likely to be run by volunteers of Nehru Yuva Kendra.

The bank will provide immediate relief in terms of food and other essential goods and services to the poor, vulnerable and the most needy population of the district.

Significantly, the relief bank started to provide assistance to two orphanages of the district during the day’s relief bank opening event.

The essential items mostly dry rations at the relief bank were donated by good people from all walks of life while the ADC Churachandpur is providing other logistics support.

Mention may be made here that the district authorities have completed the erection of barb-wire fencing at Pakmual area under Singngat sub-division along the Churachandpur district sector of Indo-Myanmar border on Sunday to prevent the trans-border movement of people in the backdrop of COVID-19 outbreak.