Manipur News

MNS:- Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has said that investigation agencies need to continuously upgrade their skills and techniques to match the newer methods being adopted for corrupt activities. Inaugurating the 19th Conference of CBI and State Anti-Corruption Bureaux at New Delhi today, the Prime Minister said the theme for this conference, Economic Development: Role of Anti-corruption Agencies, is worth exploring since anti-corruption agencies need to keep pace with new modi-operandi used in corrupt activities as the country becomes more integrated with the global economy.
While reiterating the Government’s commitment to fight the menace of corruption in every possible way, the Prime Minister stressed upon the need to protect honest public servants and keep the morale of the executive intact. He said , the mindless atmosphere of negativity and pessimism that is sought to be created over the issue of corruption can do the country no good. Dr. Singh emphasized that there is need to ensure that while the corrupt are relentlessly pursued, the innocent are not harassed. The importance of making a distinction between bonafide mistakes and colorable exercise of power in investigation of corruption cases is essential, he said.
The Prime Minister stated that several measures to curb corruption have been initiated which include putting in place a system in which benefits from the government would get transferred directly to bank accounts of beneficiaries of social sector schemes. He said amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act, are being examined in order to bring it in line with current international practice. He said an unambiguous definition for the term ‘corruption’, covering both the supply and demand sides, is being sought to be provided. Consensual bribery, and corporate failure to prevent bribery as a new offence would be taken care of in the proposed amendments under consideration, he added. Dr. Singh urged the CBI and other anti-corruption agencies to feel free to engage professionals who have the expertise to assist them in conducting an impartial enquiry in complex cases.
In his address to the Conference, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Shri V Narayanasamy said that CBI has repeatedly proved its credentials as the premier investigation agency of the country. He said that with the growing workload over CBI, it is imperative that some techniques be devised to meet this increasing load, for which the Government will provide all logistical support to CBI to meet the added demands for their investigative framework.
Shri Narayanasamy said that with economic development, there is need to be vigilant to thwart the nefarious designs of unscrupulous elements who may like to short-circuit the system. He said the CBI and state anti corruption agencies are the most visible arms of the system, and the seriousness of the Government to fight corruption is gauged by the performance of these agencies.
Director CBI Shri Amar Pratap Singh said co-ordination between the CBI and the State Anti Corruption Bureaus has produced very successful results, and said that the collective drive against corruption would be far more effective, if this cooperation is strengthened.
Shri A P Singh emphasized that the rationale behind any vigilance activity is not to reduce, but to enhance the effectiveness of the government delivery mechanism. He said that the CBI has at present a capacity to investigate about 1000 cases every year, but his figure has been static for the past two decades owing to constraints of manpower. Shri Singh said that in view of the large number of cases being assigned to CBI by Courts, increasing demands from States for CBI probe as well as growing economic offences and bank fraud cases, there is an urgent need to increase the capacity of the organization to investigate at least another additional 1000 cases in a year.
Director CBI said that it should be ensured that the guilty are not only punished adequately, but also promptly. He added that that with the government sanctioning creation of 71 additional exclusive CBI courts for trial of anti-corruption cases, 66 of which are functional, the time lag between filing of charge sheets and securing of judgments is already showing a decreasing trend.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/pm-inaugurates-19th-conference-of-cbi-state-anti-corruption-bureaux-2012/

Shillong, Oct 9 NNN: Meghalaya will have its own wool bank soon. The state is planning to have the wool bank as it has the potential to produce its own wool.
Giving this information, Meghalaya deputy chief Minister Bindo M Lanong said on Monday in the next few years time, the state will witness the wool bank.
Speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the 10-day 2nd Shillong Woolen Expo at Youth Hostel here, Lanong said the government of Meghalaya is trying to organize the sheep rearing in the state and hopefully in the next five years time, Meghalaya will be in a position to have its own wool industry.
Stressing that Meghalaya has huge tract of lands in Garo Hills, Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi, Lanong said those lands can be used for the purpose.
Even though the land in State belongs to people and not the government, he opined that the land owners will be made stakeholders in sheep rearing by engaging them in this profitable activity.
However, the breed of sheep currently being reared in very small number in Meghalaya cannot yield the desired wool in demand. Therefore, the ICAR has been instructed to create a hybrid sheep that can yield high quality wool as well as sustain in the local conditions, informed the Meghalaya deputy chief minister.
He also rued over the fact that despite the North East in general and Meghalaya in particular having the market for woolen products, the region is at the receiving end; importing woolen products from Punjab and other states.
Though Meghalaya does produce woolen products through its various weaving units in various parts of the district, under the department of Sericulture and Weaving, but the produce cannot compete with those being imported from Ludhiana and Himachal Pradesh.
It is in view of this huge demand that government wants to set-up wool bank in Meghalaya and start sheep rearing so that employment opportunities are generated while the region’s potential in wool production can be exploited.
With the assistance of Central Wool development Board (CWDB), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, state governments is trying to setup the Wool Bank that will incorporate sheep and angora rabbit and other wool producing animal rearing, technical expertise, training and setting up of a infrastructure for wool exhibition cum sale and information.
“Meghalaya has a great potential in this regard like other North Eastern States and we deserve to have wool industry or wool bank in different states of the region,” Lanong exclaimed.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/wool-bank-at-mizoram/