Day: June 26, 2015

IMPHAL, June 26: The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture under the theme `Right to Rehabilitation, RTR` was held today at the Manipur Press Club.

The observation was jointly organised by the Women Action for Development (WAD), North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF), United NGO`™s Mission (UNM-M), Human Right Initiative (HRI) Domestic Violence Survival Forum (DVSF), Conflict Widow Forum (COWF) in collaboration with Community Based Organisations (CBOs).

Speaking at the function WAD secretary, Sobita Mangsatabam stated that the persistent rise in number of victims of torture by the armed cadres both of State or non-State actors is not a sign of good governance.

It is also clearly highlighted in International Humanitarian Law that the civilians are to be protected in any circumstances by both the parties but the situation is totally different in Manipur, she added.

Uncountable numbers of people have become victims of torture in many forms like assault, taking into custody, torture, forced starvation, etc, she said.

Victims continue to be haunted by the trauma they had faced during such torture, hampering their growth for life, Sobita continued.

However, till today the government authorities have failed to look into the grievances of such victims or come out to help them, she lamented.

There is no proper channel for delivery of justice to such victims, no financial aid, no proper facilities to rehabilitate them in the hospitals, no psychologists trained to help them, she continued.

She said that it would be a good idea for both the State and Central governments to look into the issue in a more serious manner and provide psychological counseling to the victims of torture.

She also added that until incidents of torture is completely checked; development could not be achieved in any form.

Sobita also called for such victims to come out and join hands with the others and fight for justice to overcome their obstacles.

Delivering the keynote address, WAD member Binita Soraisam said on December 12, 1997, the UN General Assembly had proclaimed June 26 as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

This is the day where the people all over the world pay respect to those who have endured unimaginable torture, to speak up against the unspeakable and also a day dedicated in remembering and supporting the many victims and survivors of torture around the world.

The observation was also attended by Senior Citizen for Society Manipur president L Lalit Singh and North East Dialogue Forum, member, Kh Norendro Meitei.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/06/international-day-in-support-of-victims-of-torture-observed-in-state/

IMPHAL, June 26: An Improvised Explosive Device exploded, this early morning, inside a building located in the high security zone Governor Road which is guarded round the clock by State commandos and three companies of the 109 BN CRPF.

The blast which occurred at 5am damaged parts of the second floor and third floor of the building.

The IED, planted under the stairs connecting the second and third floors of the building, was fitted with a timer device.

The blast damaged the walls of the office of the M/S Shyama Power India Ltd which located next to the stairs and broke the building`™s window panes facing the Raj Bhawan.

The building is located opposite of the Raj Bhawan on the Governor`™s Road facing the Raj Bhawan walls.

Although, no one in the building were injured in the blast, a water tanker driver who was standing near the building was hit by broken glass on his right wrist.

The driver is identified as Thokchom Ibung Singh, 21, son of Th Sobha Singh of Itam Nungoi Mayai Leikai.

On the other hand, around 3pm today another IED was found planted near the gate of the MM Higher Secondary School, Wangkhei Wangkheimayum Leirak.

The IED planted inside a tin-fish can and placed inside a black plastic bag was found on the left side of the school gate.

According to the secretary of the school, he was also present inside the school campus with the teachers at the time, but came to know of the presence of the explosive only after media persons arrived with information of the explosive`™s presence.

The reporters said they were also informed on the phone about the IED, he continued.

With today`™s incident, there have been two such incidents of bomb threats made to the school, he continued.

The secretary also said that the school has not received any monetary demand from any UG group and it seems that it was an act to drive away students from getting admission in the school.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/06/ied-explodes-inside-governor-road-building/

JIRIBAM, June 26: The 72 hour bandh in Zeliangrong areas called by the Zeliangrong United Front greatly affected normal life in Nungba and Khongsang among other areas inhabited by the community.

Roads in the areas remain deserted and business establishments remained closed for the second day today.

The ZUF had called a 72 hour bandh in all Zeliangrong areas demanding a separate Zeliangrong State

The bandh has been imposed on all national highways, state highways and inter-district roads in Zeliangrong inhabited areas of the State. The outfit has also imposed a total ban on all national projects underway in Zeliangrong region during the bandh.

The bandh has evoked total response in Nungba. At Noney except for a few some vegetable vendors doing brisk business, none of the other business establishment opened shop for the day.

Vehicular traffic including passengers vehicles were completely off the road, national projects including the rail line construction project came to a grinding halt.

Several transport vehicles loaded with essential commodities are also stranded at different places including Awangkhul and Jiribam.

The ZUF has been demanding creation of a separate Zeliangrong State carved out from Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/06/zuf-bandh-for-separate-state-evokes-total-response/

IMPHAL, June 26: The Senior Citizen for Society has strongly appealed to the civil society organisations, student bodies and other organisations against imposing bandhs, economic blockades and counter blockades in the State to press for their demands.

This was stated by SCS secretary Mani Khuman during a press conference held today at the Manipur Press Club.

Professor L Sadananda, secretary SCS who also attended the press meet appealed to the government to take up action to stop the frequent bandh and blockade for once and for all.

If the state government fails to do so the Senior Citizen for Society will take up the action by filing a case against such illegal step.

Mani said such bandhs and blockades only cause hardships for the people and are disruptive in nature.

Prices of essential commodities sky-rocket during such agitations, he said observing that even the Supreme Court has stated that imposing bandhs and economic blockades or counter blockades are illegal and violates the right to live and life of the people.

Organisations can take more democratic form of agitation or legal step against the government instead of imposing bandhs and blockades, he asserted.

On the other hand, the State government is not enforcing the law of the land and the Centre continue to remain as mute spectators against the various organisations/ groups who are taking the law into their own hands, he lamented.

This shows the government`™s lack of seriousness and callousness towards the plights of the common people, Mani continued.

Professor L Sadananda, secretary SCS said blockade impinges on Article 21 of the Constitution of India which guarantees its citizen the protection of life and personal liberty.

At the same time, the current blockade has curtailed the rights of the people of Manipur to move freely throughout the territory of India guaranteed under Article 19 (d) of the Constitution of India, he asserted.

In 2011, economic blockade and counter blockades were imposed by Kuki and Naga organisations for a prolonged 121 days strangulating the State`™s economy, he said.

`Enough is enough, we cannot allow any group to hold the people of the State in ransom for whatever their rightful or imaginary demands may be,` Sadananda asserted.

`We will support the rightful demands of any group but cannot support any group resorting to inhuman, antidemocratic, anti people and unconstitutional means for forsaking the fundamental rights of the people`™ he contiued.

He also said that any group imposing economic blockades should be made to pay the penalty for the hardships caused to innocent people.

The SCS also strongly condemned the barbaric act of a group of volunteer belonging to Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO) for ransacking the shops belonging to Mao Nagas and also for beating up the president of one of the Mao organisation for inquiring the incident.

Mani Khuman also said that neighbors are meant to love one another and live peacefully with mutual understanding.

He further asserted that the government of the state, Nagaland government and also the Central government should intervene and discussed the issue face to face at the earliest as it is the matter of life and death of many.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/06/act-against-bandhs-and-blockades-senior-citizens-for-society-urges-government/

IMPHAL, Jun 26: Colonel Haobam Bhuban Singh, ex-MLA and Minister-in-Charge of Higher Education who contested and won from Singjamei Constituency, later breathed his last on May 21 last after a brief illness was a man of principle, recalled Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh.

The CM was giving Obituary Reference to late Col. Haobam Bhuban Singh as the first agenda of the first sitting of the 11th Session of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly, which commenced from today.

He agreed that Col. Bhuban who had served as a colonel in the Indian Army for long was also a man of integrity and an extra-ordinary person who always stood by his words.

Stating that the vacuum left by the demise of the social-minded leader will never be adequately filled, Ibobi prayed for the departed soul to rest in peace in his heavenly abode.

MLA of Singjamei Constituency I Hemochandra who is also the PHED Minister; AITC MLA Dr I Ibohalbi Singh; Samata Party MLA L Ibomcha Singh and AITC MLA Th Shyamkumar Singh also gave Obituary Reference to the late Colonel during the session.

The House Members recalled that Col. Haobam Bhuban Singh contested and won in the 7th Manipur Legislative Assembly and served people of his constituency to his best level.

After retiring from the Army, Bhuban as a social activist wrote many books and entered political arena with the sole purpose to serve people. He had also served as the Managing Director and Chairman of MSRTC and MPSC respectively during which he rendered his services dedicatedly and honestly, the Members acknowledged.

Speaker Th Lokeshwar joined in observing a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the departed soul.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/06/col-h-bhuban-singh-was-a-man-of-principle-cm/

IMPHAL, June 26: Along with commencing the 11th Session of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly today at 11 am with Speaker Th Lokeshwar presiding over it, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh who also holds the portfolio of Finance tabled Rs 581 crore deficit-Budget Estimates 2015-16 in the House.

While presenting the Budget as the third agenda of the House, CM Ibobi who is also the Leader of the House stated that for 2015-16, the total receipt is estimated at Rs 9602.19 crores. The revenue receipts are estimated at Rs 8657.85 crores and capital receipts at Rs 944.34 crores.

The CM disclosed that total estimates of state`™s own tax and non-tax receipts assumed in the Budget Estimates are Rs 671.16 crores and Rs 219.42 crores respectively and these estimates have been framed keeping in view of the past trends of receipts and the potential resources that could be available during the year.

“Receipt from the state`™s share in Central Taxes & Duties is estimated at Rs 3238.08 crores during 2015-16, as per central Budget. Non-Plan grants from the centre are estimated at Rs 2121.81 crores. Plan Grants including CSS/CPS for the current fiscal is estimated at Rs 2407.38 crores. The net budgetary borrowing is estimated at Rs 581 crores based on the ceiling prescribed by the Ministry of Finance. This will include receipts from market loans, institutional loans and net receipts in the public account of the state. We are not proposing any changes in rates of taxes and duties`™`™, he continued.

On the Expenditure Estimates for the year 2015-16, Ibobi said, “™I am proposing a total expenditure of Rs 9728.61 crores out of the Consolidated Fund of the state. Out of this, Rs 5576.30 crores is under Non-Plan, Rs 3954.88 crores under State Plan and Rs 197.43 crores under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and Central Plan Schemes (CPS).

He maintained that out of the total expenditure, an amount of Rs 892.51 crores is Charged expenditure and the remaining amount of Rs 8836.10 crores is Voted expenditure. Total Revenue Expenditure is estimated at Rs 8038.27 crores while Capital Expenditure is estimated at Rs 1690.33 crores, which is 17 percent of the total expenditure.

`Under the Non-Plan Revenue Account, the total expenditure is projected at Rs 5163.74 crores during 2015-16. There is a 3 percent decrease in expenditure over 2014-15 (RE). This is consistent with our policy of controlling recurring and unproductive expenditure. The non-plan expenditure includes salary expenditure of Rs 2722.43 crores, pension of Rs 963.66 crores and interest payment of Rs 463.34 crores, among others`™`™, the CM explained.

`Against the total outlay of Rs 3950.92 crores, the sector-wise allocations are Agriculture & Allied Activities `“ Rs 230.68 crores; Rural Development `“ Rs 683.30 crores; Special Area Porgramme including Border Area Development Programme `“ Rs 34.10 crores; Irrigation & Flood Control `“ Rs 384.20 crores; Energy `“ Rs 173 crores; Industry & Minerals `“ Rs 34.45 crores; Transport `“ Rs 156 crores; Science & Technology and Environment `“ Rs 50.56 crores; General Economics Services `“ Rs 576.01 crores; Social Services `“ Rs 1474.75 crores; General Services `“ Rs 147.15 crores and others `“ Rs 6.73 crores. The sector-wise allocation have been made keeping in view the need to provide adequate funds for the ongoing SPA projects, delinked centrally Sponsored Schemes, particularly modernization of police force and BRGF, and committed liabilities of projects taken up under the 13th FC award such as renovation and maintenance of Raj Bhavan and Khuman Lampak Sports Complex, among other`™`™, Ibobi further elaborated.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/06/cm-tables-budget-estimates-201516-on-first-day-of-11th-session-of-10th-legislative-assembly/

LAMKA, June 26: For the third time within this month a major fire broke out at the Churachandpur Government High School, located near the district hospital.

The fire, which occurred late last night, is suspected to be lighted by two miscreants, who according to local residents, were seen hurrying off from the school soon after the fire broke out.

The fire was however brought under control by the Fire Brigade and police with help from the local residents.

However, the class X and XII classrooms could not be saved and both were completely charred by the fire.

Caretaker of the school, Tualkhan Lian said around 10 pm he smelled smoke and heard a roaring fire and when he came out to inspect the fire was already in an advance stage.

Quoting neighbours, he said they had seen two men fleeing from the scene.

The two had also left behind a soft drink bottle filled with kerosene and a sack dipped in kerosene from inside the classrooms of class VI and VIII.

It is also suspected that the two could have entered through the windows of the class rooms.

Meanwhile, the Churachandpu Police has registered an FIR no 54/6(2015) CCP PS u/s 435/35IPC and Section 4 of PP Act in connection with the incident.

Till the filing of this report, there is no confirmation of either the identity of the two miscreants or the motive behind the attempt to burn down the school.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/06/school-building-set-ablaze-in-ccpur/