Manipur News

IMPHAL, August 25: The State government has failed to keep its promise to the people to call an Assembly session on or before August 25 to table the new ILP bill, Keishampat Aheibam Leirak Meira paibi president said.

Till late evening today, there is no announcement from the government, she told media persons.

Protesting the failure of the government to keep its promise and remaining silent, the 13 students who were kept under observation at the Juvenile Observation Home, Takyelpat for participating in hunger strike agitations, have all escaped from the observation home.

Joymati was speaking to media persons at the DESAM Keishampat office.

Meanwhile, four of the 13 students who had escaped from the observation house were present at the DESAM office. The four have been identified as Salam Nivash, Loitongbam Premkumar, Suraj Kshetrimayum and Moirangthem Nelson.

They said they will further join the hunger strike.

Joymati continued the people will continue to support the ILP movement.

The government has once again let down the public by failing to act on its promise, she added.

One of the student volunteers said the government has continued to maintain a silence as if it has no regard or concern while people are dying demanding implementation of the ILP in the State.

We will not remain silent and accept the attitude of the government, the student said, and added we will not compromise on anything until the demands are met.

The students also informed that they will continue with the hunger strike until the government implement the bill.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/state-government-has-failed-to-deliver-on-promise/

IMPHAL August 25: The All Manipur Bar Association (AMBA) along with the High Court Bar Association of Manipur (HCBAM) and district Bar Associations held a joint sit in protest today at Uripok, demanding implementation of the Inner Line Permit System in Manipur.

Today`™s symbolic sit in protest is to show our support to the movement spearheaded by the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System demanding legal protection of the native people of

Manipur, said AMBA president Hindangmayum Chandrajit Sharma.

`The native being a national minority demands a legal protection in order to safeguard ourselves from possible economic and political dominance from other national dominant communities.`

According to him, the expert committee comprising of lawyers have drafted a proposed bill titled `Prevention of the native of Manipur`™ with ten chapters and submitted it already to the Chief Minister on August 3.

He said all five demands of the JCILPS have also been incorporated in the proposed bill.

However, we suggested some modifications on the issue of `deportation`™ in order to simplify the process, he informed.

`Yet the government has not made any progressed on it,`™ he said.

On the closure of the court at Lamphel since August 14, he said volunteers of JCILPS had imposed the forceful closure which has led to much inconvenience for the public with not just delay in but also uncertainty about next court proceedings.

Revenue Tribunal Court, DC Court, Family Court, Civil Judge Senior Division I, Civil Judge Senior Division II, Chief Judicial Magistrate Tamenglong, Special Court, Narcotics Drugs Psychotic Substance Court, Civil Judge Junior Division/Judicial Magistrate First Class Imphal West I, Civil Judge Junior Division/Judicial Magistrate First Class Imphal West II have been shut down since August 14.

Some of the courts have reopened since August 24, however, not fully yet as the lawyers are still mindful of the threats, he said.

He appealed to the public to recognized the importance of legal services/judicial work and exempt it as one of the essential services.

The sit in protest was participated by hundreds of lawyers, who are members of AMBA and HCBAM.

`Unfortunately the participation of our five hill district units`™ lawyers are constraint by mobility inconveniences`™ said the AMBA president.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/lawyers-show-support-to-ilps-movement/

KANGPOKPI, August 25: In a bizarre power accident yesterday one Airtel contract worker has been reportedly electrocuted by the main power line at Changoubung village under Kangpokpi Police Station at around 4:50 pm.

The deceased have been identified as Soren Shangbam Amarjit Singh (27), s/o S. Inaobi Singh of Thunungei Awang Mamang Leikai from Bishnupur District.

According to police source, the deceased succumbed at the CHC, Kangpokpi after falling from a shelter hut meant for Airtel Company at Changoubung Hills where a new tower is being installed.

It is believed that the deceased was electrocuted by the main line of the power while he was up on the hut to repair the same, the source further added.

According to one of the deceased`™s friends, nine persons including the deceased had gone to Changoubung village where a new Airtel tower had been installed recently to install 3G service, from Moirang early in the morning today.

He continued while speaking to the local media persons at the Kangpokpi Police Station that they were working under one Shyam Kumar of Moirang, who is the contractor of the said work.

He further narrated that, the unfortunate incident happen when Soren Shangbam Amarjit Singh was busy engaging on his assigned duty on the top of the shelter hut where the main power line was hanging close by.

The body has been brought to Imphal for post mortem at around 8:40 pm in the evening.

Meanwhile, Village Authority of Changoubung expressed their sympathy to the deceased and his companion in the Kuki traditional way by giving a Kuki traditional shawl and also followed them till Kangpokpi.

On reaching Kangpokpi CHC, Kangpokpi Town Committee, Kangpokpi Women Welfare Organization and Kangpokpi Youth Union also helped the deceased and his companion.

The Changoubung VA Chairman in-charge also consoled the deceased`™s mother at Kangpokpi Police Station.

Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills also helped the family members of deceased in kind and cash while showing their deep condolence towards the bereaved family at the police station before their departure.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/airtel-contractual-worker-electrocuted/

IMPHAL, August 25: The Manipur Truck Owners Welfare Association has today charged the Border Road Organisation for the dilapidated condition of the Barak Bailey Bridge after two spans of the bridge were found damaged this morning.

Speaking to media persons at their MG Avenue office, president of the association H Ranjit further charged the BRO of carrying out shoddy works using third class materials in constructing the bailey bridge.

He charged the BRO of using the important NH 37 to earn easy money.

Elaborating on the charges, he said this morning two spans of the important bridge (each with a length of 10 feet each) were found damaged restricting vehicular movement on the bridge.

This is the third time since its inauguration last year in September, that the bridge has been left non-functional due to damages, he continued.

The latest instance being earlier this month on August 12, he continued.

After being repaired on August 18, around 300 empty vehicles going to Jiribam had crossed the Barak Bailey Bridge and on August 24, the loaded trucks had headed for Imphal, he said.

Now, we find the bridge broken again, he lamented.

Ranjit said MTOWA has been crying hoarse that third class materials have been used during construction of the bridge.

The materials tested and recommended by the authorities were not used by the BRO, he claimed.

The BRO which has the sole responsibility of this route has reduced it to be its money earning project, he claimed.

The BRO has also never mentioned the weighing capacity of the bridge or the total estimated cost of the new Barak Bridge construction, he said.

Since, the Central government and the Ministry of Surface Road transport and Highways are not looking, the BRO is having a free-hand, he claimed.

He said in such an instance, the Chief Vigilance Officer or the CBI should conduct an enquiry on the working of the BRO.

The BRO, he said wants minimum numbers of vehicles plying on the road to extend its life.

The BRO has imposed a weight restriction of 24 tonnes while crossing the Barak Bridge, he said, questioning further in which national highway of the country such a practice is allowed.

The inefficiency of the BRO is affecting only the people of Manipur, he said.

Elaborating further he said, the Imphal-Dimapur highway has been disconnected for only a 4/5 days and the State is already facing the pinch. There is scarcity of petroleum products in the State already, he added.

He said heavy loaded trucks passed through the route once in a long period of time, then how come the bridge gets damaged so often.

He further appealed to both the Chief Minister and the State Works minister to intervene and repair the bridge at the earliest.

If the government can make an initiative, the MTOWA is ready to provide financial and physical support to repair the bridge, he continued.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/angered-by-frequent-barak-bridge-collapses-transporters-body-charges-bro-of-underperforming/

By Alex Guite

LAMKA, August 25: A team of Churachandpur based media persons accompanied representatives of the Tipaimukh Road Area Transport Development Association to inspect a damaged bailey bridge along the Tipaimukh Road at Sabual Village in Churachandpur district.

The team was led by the association`™s chairman G Lalpi.

The condition of the bridge is blocking commuting along the route bringing hardship to many villages which are virtually cut off from the main Lamka Town.

The bridge acts as a major bridge for the people of Henglep, Thanlon and Tipaimukh sub divisions of the district.

However, due to its deplorable condition, road communication along the route has been totally blocked since the past three days.

According to Lalpi, other than the private vehicles, around 50 commercial vehicles under the association also ply to and fro along this route everyday.

The condition of the bridge is due to the negligence of the concern authorities, he claimed.

A team of the 80 Road Construction Company of the BRTF had come with a JCB to start work on the bridge but failed to.

Residents of the surrounding areas also tried to block the road diversions from the route today citing that until a stronger agitation is launched, the BRTF will again take it for granted and further delay construction of the important bridge as they did in Tuilumzang Village.

In Tuilumzang, the residents claimed that, the BRTF had delayed or rather discontinued construction of a bridge after a diversion was identified and only providing assurance to complete the bridge construction in time.

It may be mentioned that the National Highway 150 also known as the Tipaimukh Road is under the jurisdiction of the BRTF`™s 80 RCC.

A team of the 80 RCC came today to check the Sabual Bridge. An official on conditions of anonymity claimed that the problem of the villagers is their own; however, construction of the new bridge will take atleast a week`™s time.

Meanwhile, the villagers are facing problems in transportation of the sick, children, and transportation of essential commodities even as the construction work is going to take some more time.

A mother of three, Lhingboi who is from a nearby village affected by the bridge damage said the authorities concern have time and again made promises to repair the road at the earliest, but has failed to turn the assurances to work which is only hurting the people.

Mention may be made that there are three Road construction Company (RCC) under BRTF in Ccpur and this road and bridge construction at Tipaimuk Road /NH -150 falls under the jurisdiction of the BRTF `s 80th RCC.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/damaged-bridge-blocking-traffic-along-tipaimukh-road/

IMPHAL, August 25: Close on the heels of the recent devastating flood which had affected both the hill and valley districts of the State, a 12-year-old has been confirmed positive for Japanese Encephalitis today.

According to reliable sources, a young girl from Tamenglong and presently staying in a boarding school at Irom Meijrao has been diagonised positive with Japanese Encephalitis, informed the source.

On August 23, after three individuals including the girl showed symptoms of Japanese Encephalitis, their blood samples were collected and tested at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, according to the source.

The test results came out today and of the three, two samples were found to be negative, while the third turned out to be positive, informed the source.

It is also learnt that the official medical records of the girl is with the Imphal West District Medical Officer.

When contacted over the phone by the IFP, a high ranking official of the Manipur Health Services asked to get the official report from the office during office hour tomorrow.

Meanwhile, during a telephonic conversation, Tamenglong CMO Dr Chambo said as of now his office has not received any report of Japanese Encephalitis from his district.

He further expressed his desire to know the locality of the girl whose blood samples came in positive.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/japanese-encephalitis-case-detected-official-confirmation-awaited/

IMPHAL, August 25: The Kabui Mothers`™ Association (KAMA), Manipur has thanked Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh for insisting upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include the study of the life history of Haipei Rani Gaidinliu in NCERT from class I to Class X on the occasion of 100th birth anniversary observance of Haipei Rani Gaidinliu in Delhi.

In a statement, KAMA said Haipei Rani Gaidinliu was a true daughter of this land who was born and brought in the lap of our motherland and breathed her last in the soil of our motherland. The mothers`™ association elaborated on how she fought against the British for our motherland by wielding gun in her hands. Throughout her life, she worked and sacrificed for the wellbeing of the people. She was denied entry to Manipur by British because the British knew that she will start revolution against them if she entered Manipur, it added.

The statement further said that she was put in different jails where she spent her life in the dark ambience of dungeon. After India`™s independence, the first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru released her from prison. Then she came back to Manipur where breathed her last in her birth place Longkao (Nungkao), said a press release of KAMA, Manipur.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/kama-appreciates-cm-for-gesture-seeking-inclusion-of-rani-gaidinliu-in-syllabus/