Manipur News

IMPHAL, October 15: Labourers of the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution working its godown at Sangaiprou have warned to launch agitations if the authorities concerned fail to clear their labour wages for weighing, stiching/ restacking which are still pending since February 2015 at the earliest.

This was stated by secretary CAF & PD Labour Welfare Association Romendrajit Moirangcha during a press meet held today at Manipur Press Club, Imphal.

Romendrajit further said that on January 25, the RK Fortune Developer Pvt Ltd along with Deputy Labour Commissioner, Government of Manipur and United Committee Manipur had agreed to pay out labour charges of Rs 4 per bag for unloading, Rs 4 each bag of rice for loading, Rs 4 each bag for weighing and Rs 4 each for stiching/restacking.

He said that since February 2015 wages for weighing and stiching/restacking have been in pending till date.

The secretary appealed to the RK Fortune Developer Pvt Ltd to clear the pending amount at the earliest or else the union will launch strong agitation against the firm.

The union also appealed the concerned government heads to look into the matter as soon as possible to avoid irregularity in public distribution system with concern with CAF & PD.

The union was assured during a meeting with the managing director of the authorised firm RK Rameshor Singh, to clear the pending wages but it has not been done till now, he said.

He said that there are all together 110 labourers who are affected.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/10/caf-pd-labours-calls-to-clarify-their-wages/

IMPHAL, Oct 15: Coalition for Indigenes`™ Rights Campaign (CIRCA) Manipur has said that 215 discourses and discussions on the Merger Agreement and the pre-merger political status have been conducted so far in the State since its `Merger agreement ge mayokta leppa tha` movement was launched by titular king Leisemba Sanajaoba on September 21.

A statement of the coalition said the discussions were held in various villages with the State flag hoisted on half-mast showing dissent against the merger agreement.

It said painting competitions and discussion on the merger agreement were held in villages today.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/10/215-discussions-on-premerger-status-held-since-movement-started-circa/

IMPHAL, Oct 15: The 18-hour general strike imposed by the Cor-Com from yesterday midnight till 6 pm today, as a mark of protest the annexation of Manipur into the Indian Union, crippled normal life in the State today.

Even as heavy security measures were deployed in different part of the state capital to prevent any untoward incident during the strike period, all business establishment, educational institutes remained closed in response to the strike.

Even as the Government institute remained open employees turned was reported very low.

The strike although was more affective in the valley area, its effect was also felt in the hill districts with all transportation system including passengers vehicles remained off road.

In the meantime, two powerful IEDs were exploded by militant suspects early in the morning today around 8:35 during the strike period in between Uyungpok and Pangantabi under Lamlai Police station, Imphal East district.

According to official sources there was no casualty inflicted by the blast.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/10/corcom-bandh-affects-normal-life-in-manipur/

IMPHAL, October 14: The government alone cannot face the problems in health sector in the State. Facing such problems by the government alone is next to impossible.

This was stated by the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh yesterday while addressing the Financial Assistance Distribution Function sponsored by Manipur Heart Foundation in collaboration with Sky Hospital at Classic Hotel, North AOC, Imphal, according to a DIPR statement.

Further according to the statement, the Chief Minister said that the government and those of private sectors together have to face the problems of Health and Education.

It further said that appreciating the contribution of Dr L Shyamkishore who left London and started working here in Manipur for the noble cause of humanity, the Chief Minister said one may adopt the profession of doctor, engineer or social worker and should contribute towards the advancement and common good of the society.

We have to appreciate not only Dr. Shyamkishore`™s contribution but those philanthropists who are also rendering their services by helping financially, physically or otherwise for the needy and BPL families who couldn`™t afford to go for treatment outside Manipur, he added, the statement said.

While distributing financial assistance of Rs. 25,000/- each to nine heart patients belonging to different BPL families from all the district of the State for treatment, the Chief Minister expressed hoped that people with generosity will contribute for this noble cause of humanity, it said.

The Chief Minister also donated Rs 1 lakh to Manipur Heart Foundation from his discretionary fund, it said.

Further according to the statement, the function was also attended by president, Manipur Heart Foundation and chairman and chief cardiologist, Sky group of hospitals Dr L Shyamkishore and PHE, Labour and Employment minister I Hemochandra Singh as president and guest of honour respectively.

The function was also attended by parliamentary secretary TA & Hills and IT Victor Keishing, MLAs O Landhoni Devi and St Nunghlung Victor as special guests, it said.

It said as a part of the function, the activities and achievements of Manipur Heart Foundation since its inception on March 3, 2013 were also highlighted through a 16-minute long visual support.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/10/government-alone-cannot-face-the-problems-in-health-sector-chief-minister/

IMPHAL, October 15: The Central Vigilance Commission will soon be coming in the State to investigate the multi crore Loktak Lake scam, informed a highly replaced source.

According to the highly placed source from the Central government, a team of the Central Vigilance Commission is in the process of linking up with the CBI State unit on the Loktak lake scam.

It is also learnt from the highly placed source that the Rs 224 crore is just a part of the scam and a bigger amount is involved in the scam.

The total estimation for the conservation and management of the Loktak Lake as prepared by the State government was Rs 500 crores. This amount was placed before the Planning Commission of India in 2007-08, the source informed.

Giving in to the demand of the State government, the then Congress government in the Centre had given its administrative approval for the Centre to sanction atleast Rs 400 crores, it said.

The source also disclosed that the Loktak Development Agency had sanctioned the first phase amount of Rs 3.61 crore on August 21, 2008 on trial basis to the Progressive Construction Limited which is based in Hyderabad without any process of tendering.

This conduct of bypassing the process of tendering is violation of the Central Public Works Department norms, the source added.

The source informed that the work was awarded to the single bidder PCL with the agreement demanding completion of the work of clearing the phumdis within two weeks.

The source said the total amount of phumdis to be cleared was 10 lakhs cubic sq metre.

On the other hand, on August 1, 2009, the second phase work amounting to Rs 224, 39,14,035/- was awarded to a new company K-Pro Infra Work Private Limited based in New Delhi which is reported to have been registered just after the LDA notified for tendering of the project, it said.

The company was also the lone bidder of the project, it said.

It is also informed that another Rs 22 crores was loaned to K-Pro as mobilisation fund with zero interest by the LDA after the company was rewarded the work in the first week of November 2009.

When K-Pro started work, the machineries and staff used were hired labourers from LDA as per the agreement signed between K-Pro and LDA on November 2, 2009, the source maintained.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/10/central-vigilance-commission-to-investigate-manipur-loktak-scam-soon-source/

IMPHAL, Oct 15: Laihui- The Centre for Traditional and Indigenous Arts was invited to perform `Harao Seigonnabi` a choreographic dance on traditional Lai-Haraoba theme at Esplanade`™s 9th edition of international dance event Dan:se Festival 2015` in Singapore, said a statement of the centre.

It said a 15-member team of the centre has reached Singapore today to present the dance during the festival which is held from October 9 till 18.

Harao Seigonnabi is choreographed by Laihui`™s artistic director M Mangangsana and will be staged on October 16 to 18 at Esplanade`™s Main Stage Open Theater, it said.

The team is sponsored by Esplanade Co. Ltd., in collaboration with Braun Buffel and View Quest, it said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/10/laihui-at-esplanades-dance-festival/

IMPHAL, October 15: The government is likely to be charged with misleading the House in passing the three controversial Bills purportedly for the protection of indigenous people of Manipur from migrant influx, if it fails to verify the very existence of the National Register of Citizens, 1951, observed political analyst Leihaothabam Sharatchandra Sharma.

The political analyst gave his observation in a written statement to the Home department, following unsatisfactory response from both the department and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Directorate of Census Operations, Manipur with regards to the authority which prepared the National Register of Citizen, 1951.

In the meantime, he also urged the department to appraise the Chief Minister and deputy Chief Minister who also holds the Home portfolio of the matter and take further necessary action as per law in public interest.

Sharatchandra reportedly applied an RTI application on September 15 last to the State Public Information Officer of the Home department, seeking information regarding the National Register of Citizens, 1951 purportedly the based year for the implementation of ILP.

Besides seeking name of the authority which prepared the National Register of Citizens, 1951, referred to in the section 2 (b) of the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, he also sought information on whether the copy of the National Register of Citizens, 1951 was available with the Home Department or any other department of the Government of Manipur and subsequently asked to provide with a copy if it does. At the same time, the RTI application also sought information taken by the Home department to obtain a copy from the National Register of Citizens, 1951, if the copy is not available with the department concerned.

In response to the application, the Home department reportedly informed that it did not maintain the records of the census and the same is maintained by the Directorate of Census Operations, Manipur.

In contrary to suggestion made by the Home department the Ministry of Home Affairs, Directorate of Census Operations, Manipur wrote to L Saratchandra, that `the office is not aware of the authority which prepared the National Register of Citizen, 1951, hence the information sought for is not available with this office` while remarked `not applicable` in case of other information sought.

Judging from the responses received, Laihaothabam Saratchandra Sharma, drew the attention of the Home department in a statement observing that the State government nor the Directorate of Census Operations, Manipur knows the authority which prepared the `National Register of Citizens, 1951.

He further stated that the existence of the National Register of Citizens, 1951 is crucial to the validity of the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015.

It is therefore, the responsibility of the State government to verify whether the National Register of Citizens, 1951 exist or not.

`If the National Register of Citizens, 1951does not exist, the Government is likely to be charged with misleading the house to get the two bills passed`, it said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/10/rti-demanding-authority-which-prepared-national-register-of-citizen-1951-draws-unsatisfactory-response/

NABADWIP, October 15: The three day long 217th death anniversary of Rajarshi Bhagyachandra at the Shree Shree Anu Mahaprabhu mandir at Nabadwip Dham in Nadia district of West Bengal entered its second day today.

The observation is being organised jointly by the Rajarshi Bhagyachandra Cultural Foundation, Manipur and Nabadwip Rajarshi Bhagyachandra Cultural Foundation Kolkata.

Speaking as the chief guest of the second day, ex-MLA Thangmeiband Constituency Meinam Bhorot Singh said Rajashri Baghyachandra was a virtuous king who was against dishonesty and didn`™t envy the throne.

He said it was the maharaj who introduced the famed Ras Lila to the world.

He also said that Rajashri Bhagyachandra also encouraged love and unity among the hills and the valley and was against discrimination on the grounds of religion or caste.

Today`™s function was attended by Nabadwip Rajarshi Bhagyachandra Cultural Foundation chairman RK Ranajit as president and national awardee Salam Maipak and theatre critic Lamabam Gojendro as the guests of honour.

The main highlights of the day were cultural performances including nata sangkritan, maha ras performed by artistes of various cultural troupes.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/10/rajarshi-bhagyachandra-encouraged-love-and-unity-between-hills-and-valley/