Manipur News

IMPHAL | Sept 6

Rotary Club of Imphal conferred ‘Nation Builder Awards’ to government school teachers with an aim to ensure total literacy and quality education in India through T-E-A-C-H programme under Rotary India Literacy Mission.

A release said, the five winners of Nation Builder Awards 2017 were H. Minakumar Singh of Bhairodan Maxwell Hindu Primary School, Imphal, H. Victoria of Budhimanjuri Junior High School, Sagolband, A. Sorojini Devi of Khunthoknganbi Upper Primary School, Thangmeiband, P. Dhanapati Devi of Laijing Ningthou Junior High School and L. Bimola Devi of Lilashing Khongnangkhong Primary School.

The awards will be distributed to the winners during the observation of International Literacy Day on September 8 at Rotary Multiservice Centre, Mantripukhri, it added.

8th Sirarakhong Hathei Phanit kicks off

IMPHAL | Sept 6

Commerce and industries minister, Thongam Biswajit inaugurated the 8th Sirarakhong Hathei (Chilli) Phanit today at the Sirarakhong Village and ensured all forms of assistance from the government to the chilli growers.

Addressing the inaugural function, Biswajit encouraged the chilli growers to work harder. He assured that he will discuss with the chief minister ways to promote the festival so as to increase production of the chilli and provide a market.

He pointed out that the chilli variety grown in the village is not found anywhere else which is indigenous to Sirarakhong Village and the same variety, when planted at other places, loses its uniqueness and production as well as taste, flavour and size.

Biswajit also spoke on the feasibility of producing hybrids of the chilli. He continued that it is unfortunate that no initiative has been taken to open a common facility centre. In this regard, he said the CM will be appraised and also look into what the KVKs, ICAR have been doing so far.

Biswajit also spoke elaborately on the Zero Defect, Zero Effect scheme and also urged the Shirarakhong chilli growers to apply for registration of their products under ZED which will only increase the marketability of their products in the global market.

He continued that we can easily find markets for chillis, but we have to attract investors and entrepreneurs to improve production. He said that he will submit a proposal for setting up of a CFC project, adding there is need for entrepreneurs and investors.

Further, the minister maintained that without a stable economy there will be no peace. The government is there to provide jobs to the youth, however, government job alone is not employment, and we need to open more self-employment avenues.

Biswajit also said that the government is committed to achieve 1.5 lakh employment generations in a year in the State under the various government departments. This will ensure 7 lakh employment generations in five years.

Explaining welfare schemes including the KISAN SAMPADA, the minister said that there is a need to spread awareness of the schemes to the people.

There are many schemes of the government, but we are not informative and lack of awareness of the many schemes of the government, he continued. We are unable to explore our resources and talents, he said. He continued that it is unfortunate that we have failed to properly exploit the nature provided resources available to open more employment avenues for the youth.

The inaugural function was also attended by Keirao MLA, L. Rameshwor Singh among others.

The festival organised with an objective to promote the indigenous variety of Shirarakhong chili will continue till September 8. The first day of the festival was also attended by people from various parts of the State.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Sept 6

The Manipur Home Guard Employee Welfare Association has pledged to take up intense agitation from October 2 if the government fails to increase their monthly allowance following the Supreme Court verdict within this month. 

Speaking to media persons today at Manipur Press Club, Imphal the association’s president, Y. Mangi said that a memorandum has been submitted to the chief minister on August 30 demanding to pay the duty allowance of home guard personnel at a minimum of the pay to which the police constable of the state are entitled.

Increasing of their monthly allowance by Rs. 3000 cannot be accepted as it is very less to support a family by just a monthly income of Rs.5000+3000, he added.

The president expressed hope that the government will give positive response within this month considering the hardship faced by the home guard personnel in running their families.

Nagaland police, retired superintendent of police (SP), Potsangbam Sonamani, who was also present in the press meet, said that the current monthly allowance of a Nagaland home guard personnel is Rs. 15,650.

It is very unfortunate that the home guard personnel of the state which is the neighbour state of Nagaland is currently getting a monthly allowance of only Rs. 5,000, he added.

Moreover the neighbour state Nagaland has established Nagaland Civil Defence and home guard has framed separate service rule in 2016 and its own cadre with effect from 1988, said the retired SP.

Sonamani said that the home guard personnel of the state are going through immense hardship in managing their livelihood with a meagre monthly allowance that they are currently getting.

Stating that the nature of duties performed by home guard is equivalent to the duty being performed by the regular police, Sonamani said that the need for enhancement of their duty allowance stands highly justified.

He appealed to the chief minister, the governor and the officials of home department to look into the matter of the home guards and take up positive action to their demands.

Newmai News Network

IMPHAL | Sept 6

The first ever tripartite talks at the ‘political level’ with Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF) is likely to be held either by the end of this month or early October, according to sources.

Only one meeting has been held after Dineshwar Sharma was appointed as interlocutor of the ongoing tripartite dialogues between KNO and UPF was appointed. “No political discussion” took place in the August 9 meeting.

According to ‘negotiator’ of KNO Dr. Seilen Haokip, Dineshwar Sharma had told him verbally that the tripartite talks are likely to be held either by the end of September or in the first week of October. Suspension of Operation (SoO) terms with KNO and UPF were extended for another one year which became effective from August 31. 

Meanwhile, Dr Seilen Haokip has expressed the desire to make the joint monitoring group (JMG) to be active and vibrant once again. He expressed regret that the JMG has become “inactive”.  Dr Seilen Haokip also said that matters related to the ‘ground rules’ of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) should be confined only within the ambit of the JMG.

The KNO leader’s expression was reflective of the August 9 meeting between the government and the SoO groups in New Delhi where ‘matters related to ‘ground rules’ dominated the better part of the discussion.

Interestingly, the next tripartite talks at the political level will be held at the back drops of various tribe based organisations expressing their seriousness on the talks.

It may be recalled on August 31, Hmar Inpui (the apex body of the Hmar tribe), the Thadou Inpi (the apex body of the Thadou tribe) and the Zomi Council (the apex body of Gangte, Kom, Mate, Paite, Simte, Tedim-Chin, Thangkhal, Vaiphei and Zou tribes) had urged Dineshwar Sharma, interlocutor of the ongoing tripartite dialogues between the United People’s Front (UPF), Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the government, to expedite the dialogues for “an early political solution”.

They also had urged the interlocutor to engage UPF leadership with “utmost sincerity to arrive at a pragmatic political autonomy for the tribal of Manipur within a given time-frame”.

On August 7, Kuki civil organizations had urged the “Kuki armed nationalists” to “unequivocally present the Kuki people’s demand for statehood”, according to Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM).