Manipur News

IMPHAL | Dec 30

Education, labour and employment minister Thokchom Radheshyam said many schemes and programme are implemented by the government to support and extend all possible help for the welfare of the differently able people, widow and people suffering from diseases.

He said everyone wants to be good, beautiful and the best but unfortunately it is not so. Possible help will be extended for the betterment of the people with special need and society. Without true sacrificial spirit, no matter how rich or powerful a person may be it is not in everyone’s capacity to help and work for the welfare of the differently able people and those who are in need, he added.

He was speaking at the 2nd Function of the Disable Welfare Development Association (DWDA) held at Takyel Mayai Leikai. The function was attended by the Major R. S. Chantel, Ex MLA Sapam Keba (Kunjeshwar), members of Takyel Jilla Parishad, Gram Panchayat and locals. Aid materials were also distributed.

IMPHAL | Dec 30

Horticulture and Soil Conservation minister Thounamjam Shyamkumar said with the coming of the New Year 2018, all the departments under him will give priority to provide funds under various schemes to the beneficiaries on time.

He also wished the people of the state and from behalf of his departments’ staffs that peace, tranquility, prosperity and progress in every field prevail in the state.

Informing that departments have started receiving funds, Th. Shyamkumar said the departments under him are seeking funds for other various schemes. He also assured that he would personally make field visit along with the department officials so that beneficiaries get their funds on time.

Shyamkumar was addressing the media persons at his office chamber at New Secretariat when he released the 2018 calendar of the department. He said the calendar contains all the activities taken up by the department under various schemes and projects. 

Hoping that the calendar will make people aware of the activities undertaken by the department, he said the department is committed to work day and night for the welfare of the farmers and beneficiaries of the state.

IMPHAL | Dec 30

The Kuki Students’ Organisation, KSO, Bungpi bock has alleged the finance minister and tribal affairs minister of misusing their powers for their personal gains.

A statement issued KSO Bungpi block, opined that while the entire population of hills of Manipur were engaged for Christmas festivity, the finance minister and tribal affairs minister, ignoring the festive season, were engaged in blackmailing, harassing 6 the six Autonomous District Council (ADC) demand to settle with 6 percent the funds means for Education department in the ADC.

Despite the lack of infrastructure and many other facilities to facilitate teaching and learning process of the school in the hills, the government heedless to the developmental issues and more attentive in deducting 10 percent of the otal funds of the teachers’ salaries for their selfish gains, it said.

Strongly condemning the indifferent attitude towards ADCs, it termed the act as a step motherly treatment and the main hurdles in different spheres of developmental activities.

This is the mechanism of highly corrupted, discriminating and greedy nature of the state government towards ADCs, Hills of Manipur, it said.

It contended that if the characteristic persist, the ADCs in the Hills of Manipur will be completely exploited in the future, which directly or indirectly shows the evil desires of the state government towards the hill people of Manipur.

The KSO further lamented that the two ministers despite the order of the Governor of Manipur to release the salaries before December 18, went ahead with their selfish motive which resulted in the non payment of teachers salaries of 6 ADCs till date.

It appealed to the government to work sincerely for the progress of Hill people respecting the true nature of autonomous body and release the funds timely with immediate effect.

It also urged the state not to interrupt the administrative, legislative, executive, judiciary and financial powers of the ADCs to hamper the peace of progress in the hills.

Maintaining that a very sorry state of affairs in the Hill district councils is always at the mercy of politicians and the bureaucrats, it held that devolution and decentralization of powers should be the main slogan in place of “Go to the Hills”.

IMPHAL | Dec 30

The governor of Manipur, Dr. Najma Heptulla has sent greetings and best wishes to all saying it is a great pleasure to wish the people of Manipur a very Happy New Year – 2018. 

A release said the dawn of New Year is always significant as new resolutions are made, looking to the future with hope. “We look forward to a better tomorrow learning form our experience and achievement of the past. As we step on the threshold of 2018, let us all resolve to work hand-in-hand for creating harmony and peace in parts of Manipur during the coming year,” it said. “I join the people of Manipur in celebrating New Year’s Day, 2018 and hope that everybody will be blessed with good tidings for a more prosperous and peaceful new year,” it added.

Further, regarding the occasion of Gaan Ngai, the governor has sent greetings to the people of Manipur, especially the Zelianrong brethren.

A release said Gaan Ngai is the biggest festival of the Zelianrong tribes and it is celebrated every year with great fervour. Gaan Ngai is celebrated by the young and old alike of the Zelianrong community with great devotion and gaity, it said.  It is a religious occasion but it also showcases the rich cultural heritage of the Zelianrong community, the release said adding “Let us ring in a new year full of hope and aspiration with ‘Gaan Ngai’ bringing peace and harmony to one and all in the state.”

From Our Correspondent

THOUBAL | Dec 30

40 people including women and children, and the elderly were admitted to three different hospitals after consuming fermented soya beans

The unfortunate incident took place at Kiyamgei Muslim Awang Leikai under Imphal East district.

The patients were admitted at public hospital, Hatta, Jawaharlal Nehru Institutes of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) and Noor Hospital which is located in front of Lilong Police Station.

Regarding the incident, medical superintendent, JNIMS, Dr. Ranbir said to the media persons the patients had consumed the fermented soya yesterday evening and they started arriving sick at the hospital one after another from around 1.45 to 5 pm continuously.  They were reported falling sick from vomiting and diarrhea before being admitted to the hospitals.     

It is believed that the unfortunate event may have caused by using the beans which have been applied pesticides and meant to be planted only. They may have brought the chemically processed seeds from the market and use it. 

Organophosphate poisoning may have occurred into the seeds but no traces of it as such have been found so far.

The patients are out of danger as for now and they will be discharged soon.

He further said such incidents occur mostly at summer time but sometimes they do occur in winter. He appealed that one should be very careful while buying soya beans from market.

What can be termed as unfortunate, the media reporters who came to cover the news were stopped by some staff at the JNIMS casualty over the reason they will not allow media coverage without the consent of the director. 

Reporters were denied coverage of the news even after showing identity cards issued by AMWJU. The news was later covered after connecting the medical superintendent, JNIMS, Dr. Ranbir through a phone call.

Such denial of information, when a large number of people are going through difficulties, over the reason that the consent of director is required to collect news, was something that should not have happened.

Manipur Police supplied with banned Chinese radio sets

By Paojel Chaoba

IMPHAL | Dec 30

Manipur police department has been supplied with Chinese made communication devices which are currently banned in India. As part of the police modernization effort, the Ministry of Home Affairs had sanctioned an amount of Rs 3 crore for procuring wireless sets for the Manipur police department. The grant was given for the years 2013-14 and 2014-15. The sanction was in order to procure 150 numbers of hand-held wireless sets, 175 mobile sets for police vehicles and 12 numbers of repeaters (signal amplifiers for radio sets).

The supply order was specified for each device to have Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) technology and having a 2 slot Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) with a 12.5 Khz bandwidth. The technology is one of the latest in wireless communication and provides a clear digital sound over the radio set. The DMR manufacturing has a protocol and every manufacturer using this technology should first be approved by the European Telecom Standard Institute (ETSI).

The supply order was floated and a company named Applied Telecommunication (APCOM), an Indian company got the order. The SP( Telecom and Administration) Sh Dwijamani was the consignee then and also the chairman of the line committee whose mandate was to check if the specifications of the ordered wireless sets match the ones supplied. The IG ( Administration ) was C Doungel and the amount of Rs. 3 crore was paid to the company and the wireless sets were procured in 2015. The Home minister was G Gaikhangam then.

An initial test was conducted for the supplied equipment and it was found that the company making the hand held wireless set was not APCOM but a company called HYTERA. The 150 numbers of hand held sets was to have a specification of P-318 but had a specification of PD-788 also which is totally different. The other 175 numbers of mobile sets for vehicles was also made by HYTERA company.

Further, the 12 number of Repeaters (signal amplifiers) were also found to be made by a company called GWANGJAO, a Chinese company and not by APCOM. The requisite of 2 slot TDMA having 12.5 Khz and a 16 colour code which was to have a good digital sound was the specified order for the repeaters. Instead the supplied material was completely different and found to be sub-standard. The GWANGJAO repeaters operated on 4 slots and on 6.25 Khz Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA)- this technology is different from TDMA and has one colour code only. This 4 slot technology makes communication nearly inaudible over the radio sets as transmission data gets lost over time. Moreover, the Ministry of Communication does not give license for using the four slot frequency spectrum technology in India. The police and the army, the para-military uses only the licensed 2 slot frequency wireless sets. At present, Manipur police department is using this un-licensed product, a source confirmed.

This shows that a manipulation was perpetrated in the procurement process of the wireless equipment leading to a loss of 3 crore to the state exchequer. The matter was probed by a special investigation team comprising of additional DGP Anandprakash, IAS C Arthur and IGP (Adm) Dr S Ibocha Singh in August last. The inquiry report was handed over to the Chief Minister in the same month.

Now, N Biren Singh holding the Home portfolio has kept the inquiry report in cold storage since then. The question asked from relevant quarters is why the persons who are behind this multi-crore scam remains protected and no relevant action is taken up against the corrupted individuals involved in this scam. .  An amount of Rs 3 crore has been mis-utilized leading to a complete chaos in wireless communication and a hindrance in maintaining law and order. Further in the process, creating a trust deficit among the police personnel of the State. It may be mentioned that N Biren Singh in a press conference held on June 7 regarding the belt scam had stated “ Quality can never be compromised since the police and paramilitary forces are fighting militants and hardened criminals.”

IMPHAL | Dec 30

Health and family welfare minister L. Jayantakumar Singh has laid the foundation stone for the construction of the state’s first homeopathy medical college at Lamphelpat today.

Jayantakumar said that the government is always ready to take up necessary actions to provide required infrastructures and manpower to improve the health sector of the state on priority basis. Mentioning about the shortage of fund minister said that the health department officials are trying their best by submitting DPRs to the concerned ministry of the government of India for incurring adequate funds.

The homeopathy medical college will serve its purpose only when the fraternities of the Department tie up together and work with sincerity and dedication, minister added. Highlighting the increasing importance of AYUSH system of treatment and medication he asserted that AYUSH has become common to both the rich and the poor.

Jayantakumar also stressed on the importance of giving awareness to the public regarding the vital scope to the use of AYUSH method of treatment.

 Attending the function as president director, AYUSH Dr. A. Guneshwor Sharma said AYUSH is not only a simple science but also a way of living. It plays a big role in the present way of treatment, he added.

Former minister Dr. Moirangthem Nara, Vice Chancellor, Central Agricultural University CAU,Iroisemba, Proff. M. Premjit Singh, Additional Director, State AYUSH Society Manipur Dr. Y . Lukhoi Singh attended the function as Guests of Honours. Officials and staff from AYUSH Department, Health Department staff and others also attended the function.