Day: September 25, 2017

IMPHAL | Sept 25

The Indrajit Memorial Cultural Institute, Kongba Bazar today cried foul in Manipur University’s recruitment process of a guest lecturer for performing arts that happened on September 22.

Secretary of the organisation, Moirangthem Randolph Singh said that the interview of September 22 was just for namesake and it should be reviewed by the authorities concerned.

“Not even a single subject related questions was asked and there were no experts of performing arts during the interview,” he alleged.

“The authenticity of documents was not checked, and even the numbers of posts were not properly notified by the MU officials,” he continued.

He questioned “how can a dancer, or a singer or a musician or a guitarist be considered qualified without actually witnessing their skills?”

The recruitment process is unethical and not genuine, and it needs to be reviewed by taking another interview or through other means, he asserted.

IMPHAL | Sept 25

In a move to further reinforce the ban of sex selection practices after conception and misuse of prenatal diagnostic technique for sex selective abortion, so far 115-Ultrasound machines both in private and government hospitals have been registered under the guidelines of PC & PNDT Act.

With the formation of implementing bodies like State Supervisory Board (SSB), State Advisory Committee (SAC) and State Appropriate Authority (SAA), the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act was fully implemented in Manipur from the year 2003. 

PC & PNDT is one of the priority programmes being taken up by the directorate of family welfare department, Manipur. It is in co-ordination with the district level officers and officials for better aspects of the health of mother and children of this state.

Universal immunization programme, child health programme, information, education and communication, demographic and evaluation, training etc. are the other programmes.

Phase – 4 mission Indradhanush programme was started during the inception of the present government in the state. The main focus under this programme is to immunise all children and cover unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children until cover of full immunisation as per guideline of government of India.

And the Intensified Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) programme was conducted in round-wise manners throughout the 9 (nine) districts in the state.

The ministry of health and family welfare is currently rolling out an innovative electronic vaccine intelligence network called eVIN across all districts of Manipur. The technological innovation is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme. All the 114 vaccine store/cold chain points of the earlier 9 districts and 2 sub districts of Manipur are covered under this project.

Information, Education and Communication (IEC) cell of this directorate is supporting IEC activities of various programmes of the family welfare Services to strengthen the implementation by giving awareness i.e. radio jingles, TV spot on local cable TV & DDK and scrolling on local cable TV, advertisement in local newspapers, hoarding, leaflets and posters etc. to the public as per guideline of government of India.

The directorate of family welfare services, Manipur is conducting every year special Polio vaccination to the selected Haj pilgrims. The current year also vaccination was conducted on July 2 last at the office of the directorate of family welfare services, Manipur and around 400 numbers of Haj pilgrims were given Polio drops as requested by the Manipur State Haj Committee, Manipur.

IMPHAL | Sept 25

India’s annexation of Manipur is a blatant violation of international norms on respecting the sovereignty of states and it has been the fundamental moot point and cause for the armed liberation struggle, continued the release signed by the president, Revolutionary People’s Front, Irengbam Chaoren.

There is no denying the fact that each one of us has been incessantly contributing towards the collective cause from multiple fronts, it said.  The peasants, the workers and the daily wage earners have never shied away from their basic struggle for survival and support for the downtrodden masses, it continued adding the endeavours of the artists and sports persons to show the world their worth have reaffirmed the inspirational Manipuri national pride.

The Mothers and sisters, fellow countrymen and friends, and the youth and students have proven records of being an interventionist on the fast degrading morale, culture and political malaise that confront our society today with a sense of deep concern for a better future, it added.

Further the release said the longing for a better tomorrow is closely intertwined with the question of liberation struggle. Till date only a handful armed revolutionary soldiers have taken the responsibility and traded on the path liberating Manipur with an ambition to place itself in the galaxy of prosperous sovereign independent nation-states, it said adding however, the restoration of Manipur’s independent status is ought to be a collective responsibility of every Manipuri.

Waging a revolutionary war against a numerically advantaged enemy has been an enormous challenge since the revolutionary army is constituted of a smaller size and strength, it said. In addition, the reactionary and counter-revolutionary activities of the native police personnel have equally come as a bigger stumbling block to the revolutionary struggle, it maintained.

RPF believes that liberation is the lone option to ensure a dignified existence of the Manipuris, it continued. Today, our people are made to think as if they cannot survive without the grant-in-aid support system of India which is nothing but a colonial orchestration developed in the course of prolonged Indian colonization, it said.

 Rampant violation of human rights, deprivation of justice and infusion of communal distrust amongst us has come to constitute the standing pillars of India’s colonialism, it continued.  The colonial designs have purposefully frustrated our prospective youths with abundant distractions through easier access to drugs, alien culture and sustained economic disempowerment, it added.

The time is ripe to unmask the puppet regime in the state constituted by our fellow Manipuris whose fundamental role has been to implant the colonial slave-master make-beliefs under the garb of developmentalism and progress, it further said adding it would be an utter misjudgement on our part to be blind from such a colonial reality.

It must be our historical responsibility to stop the colonial forces from indulging into playing with the aspirations of our people which otherwise would result into a long term parasitism of our future generations on the alien power, it added.

The message of the RPF president further read there is increasing need to prepare ourselves to be able to grapple with the new found trends and culture at the global terrain. What should be the basis for our exposure to such global winds of change is hardly going to be a simplified equation, it added.

In the wake of capitalist of onslaught all across the globe, to work out a protective shield on the one hand and participation in the modern development roadmap on the other hand is to be carefully done as the onus lies with us, it said.

IMPHAL | Sept 25

The state government has notified that no process of conversion or reclamation of paddy land shall take place without reference to the data bank referred to in Section 4(3)(a) of the Manipur Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2014.

A release by the commissioner of revenue said according to the Act conversion or reclamation of paddy land in violation of the provision shall attract penalty as provided in the said Act.

All deputy commissioners of the districts where the Act is applicable are directed to comply strictly with the Act and ensure that no such conversion and reclamation of paddy land and wetland takes place until further instructions, it said. The restrictions however shall not apply to cases of public purpose with approval of the state government, it added.

Further it continued that there are reports of conversion or reclamation of paddy land in violation of the Act, accordingly it is felt necessary to take immediate steps to check such violations.

It is now considered necessary and expedite in public interest to cause proper identification of the status of the paddy land through digitised cadastral maps on the basis of satellite images of paddy lands existing at the time of the commencement of the Act i.e. September 10, 2014 and preparation of such data bank to be completed in a month’s time with the help of MARSAC, the release said.

The data and the maps prepared are to be put in the public domain on the websites of the departments of revenue and agriculture in order to facilitate examination of applications for conversion of the paddy land and wetland, it added.

The release further informed that the Act extends the whole of the state of Manipur where the Manipur Land Revenue Act, 1960 is extended. And the Act provides for conversion or reclamation of paddy land of an area measuring 0.10 acre in urban area and 0.20 in rural area for construction of residential building for the owner of the paddy land for his own purpose if the owner of the paddy land or his family does not own a suitable land, it said.

THOUBAL | Sept 25

A computer room, including a computer set of the private school, Vishal Academy School at Sabal Leikai, Sapam under Khongjom police station, Thoubal district was burnt down by unknown miscreants on the intervening night of September 24 and 25.

The founder of the school, Sapam Dina said that the incident took place around 12. 30 am where the room which was made of wood and other items in it amounting to approximately Rs. 1 Lakh was burnt to cinders.

The incident was discovered by a student who, after returning from a fair, was coming back towards the direction of the school after realising he had dropped his phone on the way.  

He immediately raised the alarm by calling out the students who were staying at the boarding of the school and they were able to rescue whatever was left of the room by putting out the fire. There was a possibility of the fire spreading out and making damages in a larger scale if the boy had not discovered it.

 He further said it is suspected that the unknown miscreants may have climbed the school gate to make the entrance. The fire was allegedly started by using kerosene. An empty bottle used for carrying kerosene was found dropped on the floor as well as footprints of the miscreants who had jumped off near the door were also found. The room lied adjacent to a pathway.

In the fire, one computer set, a printing machine, one laser printer, furniture set, laboratory items amounting to total of Rs. 1 Lakh approximately was lost. Subsequently a written report was submitted to Khongjom police station, a case was filled by the police and investigations have started.

It may be mentioned that students ranging from nursery class to tenth are studying at present in the school.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Sept 25

National Student’s Union of India (NSUI), state president P. Bangkimchandra slammed BJP led government in the state for putting the photo of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on government letters, saying it is politically motivated.

Speaking to media persons, Bangkimchandra said the state government should not put photo of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on official letter head or invitations though he was the leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh from 1953 to 1968.

He said Congress had ruled the state for the last 15 years but president of the party never used to mention for including photo of Congress leaders. “Instead of putting Deendayal’s photo they can put photo of Mahatama Gandhi. Such an act is never expected from the BJP government,” Bangkimchandra asserted.

On the other hand, Bangkimchandra condemned non-sanctioning of OBC scholarship amount which has been pending for the last three years. Most of the students in the state are from lower middle class family, the small scholarship amount of money is of great help to them, he said.

The money is not sanction from the state government but from the Centre for the welfare of the students and for simple financial support, he said.

It is said that for this year last date for the submission of OBC scholarship form is September 30, which means Centre has already allocated funds but the department and some ministers are playing delaying tactics to get benefit from the fund, he alleged.

Bangkimchandra further said dismissal of MOBC director will not bring solution but the authority concerned should sanction the fund to the respective students without any delay.

Further NSUI condemned the attack on AMSU volunteers on September 19 inside the campus of secured office building by state police personnel.

Police personnel in-charge of the incident should allow a representative to meet and interact with the director concerned instead of baton-charging inhumanly against the students and volunteers of AMSU, Bangkimchandra added.

IMPHAL | Sept 25

Department of personnel and training, ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions, government of India has extended service of Rajani Ranjan Rashmi in the post of chief secretary, and government of Manipur has approved the same. 

A release signed by the under secretary,  government of Manipur said the extension of his service as chief secretary will be for three months with effect from October 1 to December 31 by invocation of the third proviso of Rule 16 (1) of All India Services (Death Cum Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958.