Day: November 2, 2012

Imphal, Nov 2 MNS : Appointing Gaikhangam as Deputy Chief Minister by the CM O. Ibobi Singh, clearly indicated unrest among the Congress itself, when Congress commands absolute majority said BJP Zonal secretary in-charge Manipur P. Chandrashekher Rao. The Zonal secretary was speaking in the reception programme of M. Ranjit son of M.Manihar Singh former minister who joined BJP today. The Ibobi- led Congress Secular Progressive front (SPF) Government is neck deep in corruption and scandals, Rao accused and further said that the BJP thinks that because of fear the Chief Minister has chosen Deputy Chief Minister in his Government for the sake of his chair. The State Government is looting the welfare programme of the people, the BJP leader alleged and said that all the PDS items of the State are not reaching to the beneficiaries but now being sold abroad like Burma (Myanmar) and Bangladesh. The BJP will rise up strongly against such corrupt Government, Rao said while seeking support from all the non-Congress political parties in Manipur in its fight. Large number of BJP backed candidates turned out to be successful in the Panchayat elections and, Rao said leaders from other political parties are relentlessly joining the party. A National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government will see again at the Centre after the upcoming 2014 Lok Sabha election and the 60-member Manipur assembly will be all from the party if the NDA returned to power, the Secretary of the BJP NE Zonal Organisation said. Former Union Minister Th Chaoba said rank of BJP in the State has been propping up due to the bad conduct of the Congress. Chaoba also lashed out at the SPF Government accusing it of swindling crores of rupees. Chaoba charged that in the name of cleaning pumdis (floating biomass) in Loktak Lake work is being taken up in the lake using the name of K-Pro Company by hiring machineries from Loktak Development Authority under the supervision of one of the sons of Chief Minister Ibobi.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/bjp-lambasts-government/

Mail News Service
Imphal, Nov 2 : Today, the Gauhati High Court, Imphal Bench has issued a notice of motion returnable within 4 weeks to the State Respondents namely (1) The State of Manipur through the Commissioner (Health & Family Welfare) to the Government of Manipur (2) The Director, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital, Porompat (3) The State Mission Director, State Health Society, National Rural Health Mission, Manipur and (4) The State Nodal Officer (JSSK), State Health Society, National Rural Health Mission, Manipur in consideration of a Writ Petition filed by one Lukram Ongbi Pratima Devi thereby claiming to avail her of the benefits and entitlements guaranteed under the scheme namely Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) launched in the State of Manipur on 15th August 2011 by the State Health Society, National Rural Health Mission, Manipur in pursuant to the launching of the same scheme on 1st June 2011 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
The Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), a scheme initiated by the National Rural Health Mission for providing free and cashless services to pregnant women and also covered the treatment of sick new born in all government health institutions, was launched in the State of Manipur with effect from 15th August 2011.
Lukram Ongbi Pratima Devi is at present a pregnant woman who has been attending the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences for prenatal check ups. As she wanted to get herself avail of the entitlements guaranteed under the said scheme, she had submitted a representation dated 5th September 2012 to the Respondents for making arrangement of all necessary drugs and consumables entitled under the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram for the delivery of her child at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital which is expected to fall on 15th December 2012. However, as her representation was not answered after lapse of two months, she finally decided to approach the Gauhati High Court, Imphal Bench for seeking appropriate relief and therefore filed the said Writ Petition.
The Petition was filed by Human Rights Law Network, Manipur Unit.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/high-court-issues-notice-on-health-flagship-programme/

IMPHAL, Nov 2 NNN: After remaining defunct for almost three years, the All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM) has been revived today with a new set of its executives.
Thangzamuan Tombing has been elected as the new president of ATSUM, Vareiyo Shatsang as the general secretary and Majabung Gangmei as the speaker of the ATSUM for the tenure 2012-2014. D.Stephen who is the convenor of the Joint Committee Hill Districts Students’ Organisations (JCHDSO) administered the oath of the new ATSUM executives today.
In these three years, the JCHDSO was filling up the vacuum as ATSUM was defunct.
Due to a prolonged debate on some technical issues of All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM), the apex tribal students’ body had not been able to function smoothly since 2010. Having exhausted all the initiatives including appointment of the ‘election commission’, caretakership, appointment of search committees, the assembly of ATSUM on April 5, 2012 at Hotel Tampha, Imphal resolved that the presidents of the five hill students’ organisations viz- Churchandpur District Students’ Union (CDSU), Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA), Naga Students’ Union, Chandel (NSUC), Zeliangrong Students’ Union, Manipur (ZSUM) and the Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS), should settle the crisis and see that the ATSUM is brought back to its vibrant self at the earliest time possible under the convenorship of the chairman, ZSUM, D. Stephen.
A panel meeting of ATSUM was convened consequently on April 19, 2012 by the convenor of the five apex hills district students’ organisations at the office of ZSUM, Imphal. The All Naga Students’ Association (ANSAM), Churchandpur District Students’ Union (CDSU), Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA), Naga Students’ Union, Chandel (NSUC), Zeliangrong Students’ Union, Manipur (ZSUM) and the Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) were present. The signatories decided that the posts of the ATSUM executive council would be allotted district wise. Accordingly, CDSU was allotted the post of president, the post of the vice-president and the general secretary were kept for further deliberation, NSUC was given the finance secretary post and resolution number 4 of the meeting provided ZSUM for the speaker who is responsible for the assembly affairs of the ATSUM. The meeting concluded with a word of prayer by the former president SDSA. After 6 (six) months of rigorous consultation with the federating units and student leaders of the past and present, the convenor called a meetingof ATSUM as a follow of the previous meeting i.e on April 19, 2012, the plenary meeting declared Mr Thangzamuan Tombing as the president of ATSUM, Vareiyo Shatsang as the general secretary, ATSUM and Majabung Gangmei as the speaker of the ATSUM for the tenure 2012-2014. The matter was duly forwarded to the care-taker for execution on or before November 2, 2012 failing which the plenary meeting endorsed the convenor to administered the oath taking.
Since the caretaker fails to execute the oath-taking ceremony during the stipulated time, the convenor as entrusted in the presence of the federating units has administered the oath taking ceremony today.
The remaining posts of the executive council/assembly affairs are ‘entrusted’ to be inducted by the new executive council/officials in consultation with the federating units. While wishing the newly inducted team of the ATSUM the meeting solicits the support and co-operation of one and all.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/atsum-revived-after-two-years/

Mail News Service
Imphal, Nov 2 : Shirui hills, a hotspot of biodiversity in the Ukhrul district of Manipur, is under serious threats with depleting forest cover and wildlife fast disappearing over the years.
In his topical presentation on “Forest Development” in the afternoon session of the Bharat Nirman Campaign organized by PIB, Imphal on Friday, Lovejoy Rumthao, Range Officer, Forest Department, Ukhrul, said the Shirui hills is under serious threats with recurrent forest fire and wanton feeling of trees. “Shirui lilies are not the only important thing…may also disappeared in future,” he stated.
Expressing deep concerns on the prevailing situation in the Shirui hills, Rumthao felt the condition may worsen if the rampant forest destruction continues unabated in the hills.
Shirui hills is a site for important flora and fauna of Manipur. The hotspot diversity situated 12 kms from Ukhrul town, boasts of being the home of important official symbols of the State namely Shirui Lily (flower), Nongin (bird) and U Ningthou (tree).
Mentioning certain forest development schemes being undertaken in the current years, he informed that the AR, ANR and SMC programme are being implemented in 18 blocks of the district. He said that there are six biodiversity sites being maintained at Challou river, Maklang river at Shakok village, Shirui lily at Shirui village, Iril river at Phungthak hills, Khangkhui and Kachouphung.
In comparison to other districts of Manipur, Ukhrul records a relatively more success stories of MGNREGS but the participation of women are reported to be very negligible in monitoring and supervisory role.
In an address on MGNREGS AC. Ningshimi, Project Officer, DRDA, Ukhrul, said the work progress under MGNREGS in the district is much better than the others in the State of Manipur despite some discrepancies in the implementation of the national flagship programme.
She also stated there is higher presence of women in the actual work and worksite under MGNREGS but admitted that their role in monitoring and supervisory system is very negligible.
Of the total 44048 job cards issued in the district, it is informed that 42 percent are women beneficiaries. It is also reported that another 8663 have applied for inclusion in beneficiary list.It may be mentioned that Ukhrul district is included the third phase of MGNREGS implemented on April 1, 2008 along with the others left out in the earlier programme.
The resource person urged upon the participating students to have thorough knowledge of MGNREGS, while saying they would be the ones to carry on the programme in future.In the district, she stated that there are six blocks in Ukhrul with SDO/BDO supervise the work and implementation at block and sub-divisional level and Vigilance and Monitoring Committee in every village.
Lamenting that the work implementation in the district is always delayed, she iterated the paper process is delayed in most cases and caused the subsequent delay in getting approval from relevant authority. In fact, she said the work for every financial year should begin by April 1 but it is not so in Ukhrul.
Ningshimi also admitted that there are discrepancies in the implementation of MGNREGS in Ukhrul. Informing that the guidelines like mandatory bank account of beneficiaries and facilities for mothers at work site are yet to be realised, she stated that there are instances of excess beneficiaries in some villages and inability to complete the 100 days work in certain years.
In future, she informed that the DRDA would organized a more intense awareness campaign with its inspection rate remaining only at 10 percent.
Earlier, Premalata Loitam, MCO, PIB, Imphal delivered an opening remark on the second day of Bharat Nirman Campaign.
She asked the audience to be interactive with the experts on various issues they wish to know and empowered with knowledge concerning the schemes of national flagship programme.
Saying this campaign is being organized to find out how the citizens are kept updated and aware of the projects implemented by Government of India, she said it is the government’s responsibility to educate the people on all these issues.
“This campaign is also to find out any lacunae in Government’s programme being undertaken for the welfare of the people,” she added.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/biodiversity-disappearing-from-shirui-hills/

Ukhrul.Nov.2,2012
India’s rural housing policy of Indira Awaz Yojana(IAY) has able to provide remarkable benefits to the people of Ukhrul District. More than 10,000 homeless families in the District has been provided house since the beginning of IAY in the country.
Project Officer of DRDA Ukhrul A.C Ningshimi in her topical presentation on Rural Housing at the second day of Bharat Nirman Campaign in Ukhrul said that the IAY has been implemented in the District comprehensively based on the list provided by the villages basing on the ‘permanent waitlist’ criteria. She however lament that the Permanent IAY Waitlist cannot be accurately implemented in the District due to lack of updating of the list viz. BBL category, disabled persons etc by the concern village Authority.
Manipur being a State which significantly comprised of hilly areas the Project Officer categorically mention the difference between hill areas and valley areas in the implementation of IAY. She stated that hill areas due to geographical reason of being more terrainous coupled with poor transport facilities; the IAY benefits’ of Rs.48, 500 is being given to the beneficiaries as against Rs.45, 000 of the valley areas.
Indira Awaz Yojana is one of India’s foremost scheme which addresses housing shortage in rural areas as part of poverty alleviation program. Under the scheme Below Poverty Line (BPL) families are given priority in the selection of beneficiaries.
The Project Officer while elaborating on the implementation of IAY in Ukhrul District said that there are two types of IAY. The first is to provide assistance for new construction while as the second is to provide assistance in the upgradation work. Apart from the empirical implementation of IAY in the District she also vividly highlights the features which include 5 percent reservation for natural calamities and 3 percent for differently abled persons.
In years to come, the Ukhrul town may face a total shortage of water considering the drastic reduction of water production volume at the Shirui hills and in the absence of alternative means so far.
In an address on “Rural Drinking Water Supply” in the afternoon session of the Bharat Nirman Campaign organized by PIB, Imphal on Friday, V Shangreiphao, SE, Rural Circle No. 11, PHED, Manipur said the water production level has drastically reduced over the years and falling totally short for the growing population in the Ukhrul town.
“The yield of water source has reduced three-fourth since the earlier years. In this case, the Ukhrul town would experience total water shortage in near future,” he stated.
Unless certain measures are taken up to preserve and boost the water sources at Shirui hills, he expressed concerned that the hilly town may face a serious drought with high concentration of population.
However, he stated that there are proposals for implementation of catchment area protection programme to preserve the water sources, while adding it already has the Cabinet approval of the State government.
Mentioning that there are various work programmes under rural water supply to be implemented in the district, the resource person informed that there are 13 centrally-sponsored schemes to be taken up at estimated cost of 5.65 crore budget and nine state-funded schemes at a gross budget of 1.81 crore.
He also informed that five NLCPR funded water supply schemes are being implemented in the district, while the work progress at Riha (Loutei) at 2.61 crore is at 72 percent and Shangshak at 4.92 crore is at 40 percent. The other programmes in the pipeline are to be taken up at Kamjong, Lunghar and Tolloi.
He also added that the performance of rural water supply programme was poor in the financial year 2011-2012 citing fund constraints and diversion as the main factors.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/indira-awaz-yojana-a-boon-to-hill-people/