Shillong, Apr 09: Nongshken MDC, Grace Mary Kharpuri on Thursday released essential commodities including 220 quintals rice to 68 villages within the constituency.

The essential items include 220 quintals rice, 1,350 litres mustard oil, 1,500 kgs pulse (masoor dal) and all were handed over to the villages through the respective headmen who loaded the rice in their vehicles from the residence of the MDC at Rangthylliang, Pynursla.

Before handing over the food items to the headmen, the Nongshken MDC lauded the headmen for working tirelessly at this difficult time when many people are facing various problems.

Hoping that the distribution of the essential items would somehow help those families in need of food, Kharpuri urged the headmen to distribute the food items without any bias by ensuring that the deserving families who could not get rice either because they are poor or their names not included as beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

“To all the headmen and my supporters, I want to make it clear that leave aside politics and do not hurt our own people who are in need, and we all must come together and help each,” the MDC said.

Stating that the lockdown against COVID-19 is for good in order to break the transmission chain, Kharpuri urged the people to adhere to the guidelines and advisories issued by the government.

The MDC also urged the headmen and traders to be cautious not to allow trading activities to take place with people from the other side of the border at this critical time fighting the spread of Coronavirus.

“We must work together to help our people and this is the time to support each other,” the MDC stressed.