Manipur News

IMPHAL, April 13: The All Tribal Students`™ Union Manipur, ATSUM, said it is constrained to draw the attention of the Government to its agreement with ATSUM on October 22, 2014 on various long outstanding demands of the tribal communities.

Speaking to media person in a press meet at office of ATSUM, Maun Tombing president ATSUM said that It is a disgrace and dishonour that the Ibobi-led Congress government is still sleeping over the grievances of tribals to buy more time in spite of continuous pressure from the ranks and files.

Among these is the ST Commission assurance given by the Chief Minister, he said.

The Chief Minister had assured to set up and make this commission functional by New Year 2015, but now it has turned out to be a false promise, he said.

The ATSUM feels compelled to serve another ultimatum to set up the ST Commission on or before June 14, in the interest of the tribal communities and the benefits they would reap by the activation of such a commission, said Tombing.

He further said that the demands were mainly for the regularisation of contract lecturers, bifurcation of power to Additional Director (Hills), Education (S), halt to manipulation and exploitation of tribal quota in the Manipur Legislative Assembly, halt to transfer of land records and special recruitment drive in JNIMS.

As per the Government`™s agreement with ATSUM, the Cabinet on September 2, 2014 approved the regularisation of 705 contract lecturers in Higher Secondary School, but nothing has happened since. On October 22, 2014 the Government again reminded to complete the formalities of regularisation before the commencement of the academic session 2015-16.

`On October 22, 2014 during the discourse between the GoM and ATSUM team, Education Minister and Director of Education(s) had given the assurance to ATSUM team that order will be published in a gazette very shortly. Very unfortunately nothing has been implemented till today` the ATSUM president said.

Again, the Additional Director (hills) has been given neither the responsibilities of the hills nor the power to function as given in the order, he said.

To bring about a balance in employment patter in the Assembly secretariat, ATSUM had demanded ascertainment of the number of backlogged posts inclusive of detail information of employees and reservation of quotas against sanction posts. But Assembly secretariat has only furnished a bogus data which does not correspond to the data obtained from MIS, he said.

The government made promises several times but have been breaking them time and again, he said. All the backlogged posts of different grades which ought to be filled after the agreement with the government on October 22, 2014 are still vacant, he said.

Tombing appealed all the units of ATSUM to prepare for agitation.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/04/atsum-fixes-new-deadline-for-govt-to-honour-roto-agreement/

By Paojel Chaoba

IMPHAL, April 13: Apex legal body of the State, All Manipur Bar Asociation (AMBA) has charged the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi of alleged favouritism in the selection process of a High Court judge.

The Manipur High Court inaugurated in December, 2011 has a present strength of three judges, namely Justice LK Mohapatra, Justice N Koteswor,Justice Kh Nobin Singh. However, the sanctioned strength is for five judges. The matter for deputing five judges was pursued by Ibobi with the Union Law Minister Salman Khursid back in 2012. According to his D.O. letter number 16/2/2012-Law (GHC) – five judges will be needed to dispose of the numerous pending cases and also for the ever increasing number of legal disputes.

The allegation by the AMBA is that Ibobi has recommended a junior judicial officer for the judgeship bypassing six senior officers.

In this regard, AMBA sent a representation to the Union Law Minister; DV Sadananda Gowda, Chief Justice of India; HL Dattu and Justice Ranjan Gogoi of the Supreme Court of India on February 19 this year.

The representation mentions that the Registrar General of the High Court of Manipur, namely Songkhupchung Serto has been recommended for the fourth judgeship bypassing six senior officers.

They are Roland Keishing, A Guneshwar Sharma, Ng Kipgen, M Manojkumar Singh, S Imocha Singh, K Brajakumar Sharma (not listed on seniority basis).

Serto is the junior most judicial officer and is listed in number 7 in terms of seniority, the bar memo said. `This unjustified recommendation is against the directive of the Chief Justice of India that elevation of judgeship should be on seniority basis,` the representation added.

Further, for a judgeship prerequisite, Serto has not been able to deliver and submit 10 contested judgements (5 civil and 5 criminal) and thus having no experience as a Grade-1 officer, it further said. Due to this fact, he was superseded by his junior judge M Manojkumar Singh at the time of Grade-I promotion, the memo further said.

It also said that the manner by which Serto was posted as Registrar General since 2012 is also doubtful as the senior most Grade-I judicial officer should hold the post. Pointing out other facts the memo said since his promotion, Serto has not been able to pass a single judgement, his experience being `more on the administrative side`, it added.

It is also pointed out that in the Trail Courts, there are specific guidelines for awarding grades to judicial officers such as disposal of number of cases, judgement quality after examining 10 cases etc.

Whereas, for the officers posted at the High Court, there is no specific guideline. This is also another problem in grading of the judicial officers, the representation said.

It alleged that S Serto has no experience on the appellate side of a District and Sessions Court. `After his promotion to Grade-I, he has been posted in the registry for the last 4 years, which was continuous from the post of deputy registrar (Grade-II),` it said.

Moreover, this was done without following the convention and practice of all the High Courts of India, i.e. the tradition of senior most Grade-I judicial officer being posted as Registrar General.

Hence, recommending him bypassing two scheduled tribe and four general category judicial officers in terms of seniority and work experience is manipulative and points to gross injustice to the judicial system itself, the AMBA memo said.

The AMBA representation further urged the Supreme Court Justice, Ranjana Gogoi among others to cancel the recommendation of Serto in the larger interest and proper dispensing of justice for all.

Aside of the AMBA, the proceedings of the 31st emergency executive meeting of the High Court Bar Association resolved that the existing vacant post of judge should be filled up from amongst the persons who have held 10 years experience at a judicial office in Manipur according to seniority and suitability, it said.

It may be mentioned that there has been a hue and cry over promotional matters in various state departments, charging seniority and experience is often overlooked.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/04/bar-association-cries-foul-at-cms-alleged-recommendation-of-a-junior-officer-for-hc-judgeship/

IMPHAL, April 13: Refuting the news report published in some local dailies on April 11 that a youth identified as Thangjam Roshan, 17 of Nambol Mongjing Leikai, Bishnupur district lost his life when his mobile handset exploded, Nambol Mongjing Leikai Students`™ Union Club & Library and family members of the deceased clarified on Monday that Roshan died of electrocution sparked by short circuit of the mobile charger, not as a result of the mobile explosion.

Narrating the unfortunate incident to this daily, they said that Roshan was playing game on his mobile handset while charging when suddenly the mobile charger got short circuited and he died of electrocution on April 10 around 3 pm.

The charger of the mobile was not an original one of the mobile company. There was also no trademark sign on it, they said.

When the charger got short circuited, Roshan suffered severe injuries on his two fingers and the charger exploded with a loud sound leaving him unconscious on his bed. He was rushed to CHC Nambol for treatment but succumbed to the injuries, they explained.

The students`™ union and family members expressed unhappiness on those people for passing the information that Roshan died as a result of his mobile explosion which is not true at all.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/04/report-on-youth-killed-in-mobile-explosion-refuted/

IMPHAL, April 13: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi on Monday inaugurated a 33/11 kv Power Sub-Station, police station and an integrated infrastructure complex of BDO Machi Block simultaneously at Machi sub-division in Chandel district.

The inauguration function was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam; IFCD Minister Ngamthang Haokip; MLA Tengnoupal Constituency D Korungthang; MLA Kakching Constituency Y Surchandra; MLA Kumbi Constituency S Bira; MLA Hiyanglam Constituency E Dwijamani; MLA Wabagai Constituency Md Fazur Rahim; DGP Shahid Ahmed; IG Zone III S Manglemjao; DC Chandel Robert Singh Khestrimayum and officials of MSPDC Limited and government departments.

The main inauguration function was organized by District Administration, Chandel at the playground of Machi High School.

Speaking as chief guest, CM Ibobi said that there was a palpable gap in equal allotment of basis amenities in the valley and hills when the present government came to power while adding that development in the hills is one of the top priorities of the government.

He maintained that DC Office, Mini Secretariat building and offices of several other government departments in every district including the hills have been built and inaugurated accordingly to ensure collective growth and development.

The government had already launched `Inclusive Infrastructure Development in Hill Areas`™ programme in hill areas under sub-divisional Headquarters to reach out to the people residing in the areas which are saturated from the District Headquarters, Ibobi said.

The CM stated that according to reports of the government, there are 27 Blocks in far flung hill areas where there is no bank facility for which the government is trying to avail the facility including all the basic amenities.

Asserting that there is a plan to invest Rs 12 crore in each of the 27 Blocks under Special Plan Assistance to avail integrated infrastructure in the areas, he informed that that the government has already earmarked a sum of Rs 300 crores for implementing the plan.

The earmarked fund will not be allowed to divert. There will be no shortage of fund for developing far flung areas in the hills, Ibobi vowed.

He assured that the government will provide full-proof security, uninterrupted power supply and required infrastructure in all the banks to be set up in the 27 Blocks.

Referring to a memorandum submitted urging to upgrade Machi Primary Health Centre to the level of CHC; he said that upgradation of the health centre to CHC level could take few years as there is shortage of doctors being faced by the state at present.

Dy CM who presided over the function asserted that there has been notable development in the hills which is due to the sincere efforts put in by the Ibobi-led government.

He said that equal growth in the valley and hills is the top priority of the government and added that people in both the hills and valley have been availed with basis amenities though there is much need to be done in health and education sector.

Gaikhangam further said that various notable developmental programmes taken up in the hills during the last 13 years have proven commitment of the government towards growth and development in the hills.

Appealing the people to regard the infrastructures set up by the government as their own assets, the Dy CM called upon the government employees not to show reluctance when it comes to posting in the hills.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/04/there-is-no-shortage-of-fund-for-developing-hill-areas-says-cm/

IMPHAL, April 13: Ninthoukhong Kha decried the land acquisition notice of the Government of Manipur and resolved to knock the legal door for justice.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday at Ningthoukhong Kha, Bishnupur District, former minister Corporation and Art & Culture, Khundrakpam Jibon Singh who is also the president of Khudi Thibi Loukol Sericulture cum Horticulture Multipurpose Cooperation Society said that the land measuring 119.95 acres located at Ningthoukhong Kha is owned by the locals.

Dag chittha of 1968 showed the land is owned by locals separately but is somehow another document, Dag Chittha of 1969, also showed the same land as owned by one individual, Khoirakpam Manikchand S/o Kh Iboton @ Heithumba of Ward No 4.

Jibon said this is ridiculous for according to MLR LR Act 1961 and Rules thereof a person cannot posses a land piece more than 7.5 acres. He said that there is something fishy in the revenue office.

On further query, the revenue office mentioned that yet another dag Chittha was acquired where the whole land was marked as `Khas Land`™ or no man`™s land and notice has been served to acquire the said land by the Government for an upcoming projects.

Former president of the society Sashikumar Singh said that on an earlier notice from the Government, they have submitted the original documents to the revenue office. A few days later, the office was burnt down with the documents in it in the year 2004.

He charged that the office was intentionally burnt down to forcefully grab the land from the ordinary peasants.

On the other side some of the locals are still paying their land tax at the revenue office till 2014, Jibon said.

The confusions over the land ownership has made live miserable for the victimised 64 families of the Ningthoukhong Kha said former minister, elaborating that the locals will plea before the court for justice.

He said that the locals are not in the state of mind to cultivate their farms in the fear that the Government would acquire the land from them.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/04/locals-of-ningthoukhong-kha-decry-land-acquisition-notice/