Manipur News

IMPHAL, July 30: The Vigilance Commission has started an investigation on the allegation of irregularities in the conduct of DPC for filling up 41 vacant posts of grade-III Veterinary Animal Officer in the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry department.

According to information received by the IFP, the probe was set in motion following the intervention of State Governor, VK Duggal, who reportedly, on July 4, instructed the chief secretary to examine the case and initiate appropriate action against erring officials.

Subsequently, the chief secretary of Manipur who is also the commissioner of the Vigilance department had entrusted the concerned SP to conduct a probe in connection with the case on July 5, 2014.

Reliable sources informed that the department has its own service rules, 1994 for the officers in short called as recruitment rules which commenced from October 17, 1994.

However, it has remained impractical for more than 18 years, owing to several court cases in connection with the seniority positions amongst the appointment/ absorption of grade III officers.

However, since the commencement of the rules, the total authorised strength of grade IV veterinary officers is 111. Prior to this, 89 assistant surgeons were designated as veterinary officers under the RR.

At the same time, after the commencement of this rule the State Government published a final seniority list of 113 numbers of veterinary officers (order no.2/11/ 2002-Vety (A)Pt dated 8/9/2008.) including 32 veterinary officers appointed, bringing the total to 121 surpassing the authorised strength of 111.

Following the development, the State government sent a requisition to the Manipur Public Service Commission for filling up 41 vacant posts of grade-III deputy director/specialist from amongst the veterinary officers (as per the notification of October 23, 2013) during which another seniority list comprising of 98 veterinary officers was enclosed, as per the document available with IFP.

The document further revealed the State government in association with MPSC conducted the DPC on February 14, 2014 at 11 am and on February 18, 2014 for the vacant posts from amongst the 98 veterinary officers.

On February 18, 2014 (the second day of DPC) the additional secretary MPSC submitted a recommendation letter of the selection of 40 grade officers to the commissioner (veterinary and A&H GOM) as per the recommendation made by the DPC members.

On the contrary, the document revealed that MPSC submitted the said concurrence letter (dated 18/2/2014) along with the proceedings to the directorate, taking the signature of the director on the office copy, clearly indicating negligence of duty and misuse of power.

The same day, the State government also issued appointments by promotion of 40 grade-III officers with inclusion of un-recommended persons on the basis of the concurrence letter.

Following detection of irregularities during the promotion, the MPSC conducted a review DPC on April 2, 2014. But, surprisingly the minute proceedings of the review DPC along with the concurrence letter was reportedly received by a candidate in the list of the DPC identified as Dr Ch Chandrakishor, instead of the concerned commissioner.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/vety-animal-husbandry-under-vigilance-scanner/

IMPHAL, July 30: Maram in Senapati district is not a safe place for students as there have been numerous cases of physical assault on the students.

The latest incident has been the case of one Ringsanbou Newmai of Langmei village near Tamei, Tamenglong district.

Fumed by the incident, the Zeliangrong Students’ Union, Manipur (ZSUM) and Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF-Assam, Manipur and Nagaland) strongly condemned the physical assault meted out to one Ringsanbou Newmai, a Bachelor of Arts (History Hon) 5th semester student studying in Don Bosco Maram on July 28 at around 7:30 pm. Both the Zeliangrong organisations said the victim suffered severe internal injury damage liver, damage intestine apart from multiple injuries such as broken jaw on left side, head injury and bleeding due to hard blow by objects, cut marks on entire body because of beating by iron bars after hands were tied which is amount to murder attempt.

Recalling the past cases, ZSUM and ZYF said there had been instances where Don Bosco College Maram students belonging to Zeliangrong community were beaten severely. Citing the cases, ZSUM and ZYF said Mr. Joshua Pamei, a B.Com students, Mr. Elvis Kamei, a class-XII Arts students, Mr. Martin Gangmei, a B.A student and Mr. Widowbou Newmai, a student of 2nd semester Commerce were thrashed very badly at Maram. There were many students belonging to other communities who also faced similar treatment in the past, both the Zeliangrong organisations stated.

Meanwhile, on the July 28 incident, ZSUM and ZYF said the incident reportedly occurred when the victim due to influence of alcohol lost way and accidentally drop into a girls hostel namely ‘Josephine Girls Hostel’, a private run hostel accommodating about 20 to 30 students. Realising the wrong place the victim apologised to the warden for his mistake.

“However, the warden in turn contacted some unknown person suspected to be underground cadres over his mobile thereby four persons immediately arrived and started attacking the victim,” ZSUM and ZYF said. The Zeliangrong students who are studying in the Don Bosco College, Maram search for his where about following the victim not returned to his rented room for the night. However, on the next day the victim was found kept under captive for one night with hands and feet tied with iron chain, blind folded etc. The victim was subjected to various form of physical torture which are evident from cut marks on his entire body, ZSUM and ZYF alleged. The captors even demanded rupees ten thousand from the victim for his release, they further alleged. The victim was at last released following negotiation settled for a sum of rupees five thousand after the amount was contributed from the students belonging to the Zeliangrong community. “The victim could have been died instantly had the Zeliangrong students not rescue him.

The victim condition is very serious and now admitted in JNIMS hospital, Imphal for operation and further medical treatment,” ZSUM and ZYF added.

The Zeliangrong Students’ Union and Zeliangrong Youth Front then said they noted the incidents in the most serious manner. Such kind of persons involved in the incidents does not qualify to be a human beings in this modern era. The institution and hostel where the security and safety of a student cannot be provided or guaranteed is equally responsible for the incident, the ZSUM and ZYF stated.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/zeliangrong-bodies-condemn-student-assualt-at-senapati/

Imphal, July 28: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has invited suggestions regarding the introduction of an Act to control the influx of foreigners in the State, today taking advantage of the zero hour on the last day of the Budget session.

The State government is awaiting suggestions from experts or the legal fraternity to determine an Act to control the influx of foreigners in the State before the implementation of the Inner Line Permit.

He said that, in the past one week of Budget session, the House has discussed various issues raised by several organisations including the demand for implementation of the ILP, killing of innocent people by UGs, in public interest among others.

Coming to the much criticised police action against students and women agitators of the ILP in the past few days, the Chief Minister said it was infact a painful incident and further acknowledge that the State’s law enforcing agency had been harsh.

The Chief Minister maintained that the State government is not against implementation of ILP.

He however said that the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873 was implemented only in Assam and its remote pockets like the Naga Hills, North-East Frontier Agency, and Khasi & Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya.

Those hill areas of Assam have become the present day Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal-Pradesh and Meghalaya States, however, the States of Manipur and Tripura were princely independent kingdoms before their mergers with the Indian Union, he observed.

O Ibobi said his Government needs permission from the Center to implement ILP in the State.

It is to re-implement a previous Act which was repealed by the then Commissioner Himat Singh in 1950, he said.

In 2011, the Assembly had discussed its implementation and taken a private resolution, and again in June 2013, two MLAs I Ibohalbi and Th Shyamkumar had moved private member resolution to urge the Central government to implement the ILP in the interest of the people of Manipur, he said.

We have sent resolutions to the Center from time to time during the UPA regime, he said.

Now as the NDA has come back to power in the Center, the whole process needs to be reset, he said.

During the last three – four month, the State government has been unable to insist upon the Union government, he added.

Ibobi further said that the government had even considered going to New Delhi for pressurising the Central Government for implementation of ILP.

The Government knows the sentiment of the agitators for ILP and our 60 MLAs are elected by the public too.

If necessary, we will also include the members of the ILP Demand Committee in pressurising the Government of India, he said.

He appealed to the students that it is not wise for them to divert their energies to the issue of ILP or any other issue because these crucial days for their study.

Meanwhile, he also clarified on the defunct state of the Manipur Human Rights Commission and said it stopped functioning since 2010.

There was no eligible person for the post of the chairperson after the retirement of Justice W.A. Shishak.

Following the instruction from the Union Law Ministry, the government has engaged the Assam Human Right Commission for holding the dual charge of the State. But it was not possible, O Ibobi continued.

Ibobi underscored in the affirmative that from August onwards, the MHRC will be functional, as informed by the Law Ministry.

Meanwhile, during the Zero hour the Thangmeiband MLA Kh Joykisan drew the attention of the House on the molestation case of girl athletes by an instructor of the Sports Authority of India.

The MLA said, such incidents should not happen in the future, particularly in the field of sports.

The authority concerned has transferred the accused after an FIR was registered against him; however, instead of just transferring him, he must be dismissed from his post, he said before adding that such heinous crime in the sports arena is really unfortunate.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/ibobi-invites-suggestions-on-ilp-implementation-2/

Imphal, July 28: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has stated that it is high time to unite small departments having separate directorates but with similar aims and objectives. This will enhance quality of projects, he added.

During the demand wise discussion of the demand for grants, the CM spoke about similar but separate departments as responsible for projects being implemented improperly.

Citing IFCD, CADA and IM which serve the same purpose, he said due to their being separate departments but serving the same objective, the departments themselves are confused whether a particular project should be initiated by CADA, MI or IFCD.

If the departments collectively can implement any project effectively then quality will be maintained, Ibobi added.

Further stating that proper planning is important, he said every programme will be discussed with concerned MLAs so that development works are more effective.

Meanwhile, during the discussion on the Manipur Appropriation Bill, 2014, Ibobi said that there is a plan to construct a Manipur guest house at Navi Mumbai area particularly for the Cancer patients undergoing treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

He also said that VDF personnel will be trained battalion wise from time to time.

Taking on another issue the CM said space has now been provided for setting up an immigration office at the Tulihal Airport and very soon required equipment will be installed at the office.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/cm-moots-merging-departments-to-expedite-projects-2/

Imphal, July 28: The PHE Department has identified some water resource bodies which can help in solving the water scarcity problem in the State.

PHED minister I Hemochandra stated this while clarifying on a cut motion raised by an opposition MLA on the failure to enact Water Security Act and to incorporate provisions for rain water harvesting and the failure to provide sufficient potable water in the State.

Hemochandra said that that the population of the valley which is around eight lakhs now might increase to 15 lakhs after 20 year.

There will be a big shortfall as we will need 101 million litres per day and we produce only 80 million litres daily, he added.

He further clarified that we received 146.7 cm of rainfall annually in the State and can consider it as plenty of water but a lack of policy still makes us suffer from water scarcity.

“The main reason of the scarcity is due to the Jhum cultivation deforestation. So, we need a multi-department conversion for the policy in the State,” said the PHED minister.

“We know for sure that the Water Security Act is very must needed in our State. But we don’t have enough funds as only Rs. 20 crore were earmarked during the budget allocation. We still need Rs 1,288 crores for overall repairing the old pipes and water supply scheme plans.”

The PHED minister described Leimaram waterfall, Waroiching, Arong River of Thoubal as some of the water bodies which can solve the water scarcity problem of the State.

He also stated that advance hand pump drilling machines helped in setting up tube wells for water supply augmentation in hills area during the last water scarcity problem.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/no-problem-for-water-scarcity-minister-2/

Imphal, July 28: Hospitals in the State have become money generating machines for many doctors, while the patients have become their commodities, observed MLA L Ibomcha moving a calling attention motion on the increase of conflicts between members of public and health care providers in the State, today.

Ibomcha further said that there are many doctors who are working in private hospitals while they are actually supposed to be serving in Government hospitals.

It is a serious matter, he said, adding that in order to make profit, doctors make patients undergo unnecessary clinical tests at the private centers, even though the government hospitals are equipped with the laboratory facilities.

Ibomcha said there is a need to appoint a welfare officer who can advise the patient parties about the cost involvement and other clinical testing required for a particular treatment.

He continued that some hospitals are running without specialist doctors, and this could be one reason for the tensions between these hospitals and patient parties.

He suggested that hospitals must be categorised on the availability of experts.

The State government should also check the irregularity on certification of pharmacist, he said.

In his clarification, the concerned Minister of Health Phungjathang Tongsing said that it is true that government doctors are practicing in the private hospital as well.

We have surveyed the private hospitals and government hospitals on the matter. We hope that from next year, the government can implement strict regulation on it.

We have installed Ultra Sound machines and baby warmers etc recently at every government hospitals, he said.

That government doctors are referring thier patients for testing or diagnoses to private clinics is also true, he said.

Recently, a doctor was suspended for such practice and suspension of five more doctors on similar grounds are under process, he said.

We will look into the matter deeply after the Session and a drive will be taken out to find out the unauthorised certification of Pharmacies both in the hills and valley with the help of police, said Phungjathang.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/hospitals-are-money-making-machines-for-doctors-2/

IMPHAL, July 28: Atleast four students were injured in police action to control agitators demanding implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), today in Bishnupur district.

Responding to the movement spearheaded by the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit (JCILP) to mount pressure on the government on the issue, a large number of people including students of the district staged a sit in protest today at Bishnupur bazaar since morning.

In the evening, around 3 pm, the agitators took to the streets in protest chanting slogans “We demand implementation of ILP,” and proceeded towards the DC office.

However, a team of the district police led by SP Bishnupur who were already deployed in and around the Bishnupur bazaar area barricaded the protestors using bamboos.

The police, who were overwhelmed by the huge number of protestors, resorted to firing mock bombs in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

In the process, two girl students collapsed while two others sustained injury and were evacuated to Bishnupur district hospital by a team of district police.

The victims have been identified as Warepam Anju, 18, daughter of Shyam Phubala Awang Mamang, (a class XI student of CI College), Moirangthem Thoibi, 14, daughter of Loken of Bishnupur Kwairakpam (class VII students of Bishnupur higher secondary School), Chanambam Gaitri, 13, daughter of Khomba of Bishnupur ward no.5 (class VII students of Bishnupur Higher Secondary School) and Sorokhaibam Linthou, 15, daughter of Shanti Devi of Bishnupur ward no.4 (class X student of RKP Regular English Academy).

Anju’s condition is stated to be critical and is presently admitted at RIMS.

Meanwhile, Khangembam Shining, 19, s/o Sunil of Bishnupur ward no.4 (BA 1st semester CI College) who was arrested by the police was released around 5 pm in the evening.

Even as police took control of the situation in the bazaar area, stray incidents persisted along the Imphal-Tiddim road. Burning tyres, tree branches and other forms of road blocks were piled up along the road.

Sit in protest was also held at Keinou Bazaar organised by the Gulap English School, Amusana Girls High School and Ideal English School. Similarly residents in and around Nambol bazaar also staged sit in demonstration attended by around 200 individuals.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/students-injured-in-bishnupur-ilp-protest-2/