Manipur News

State Transport minister calls on Nitin Gadkari

NEW DELHI, July 4 (MIC): The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari today assured Manipur Transport minister Dr Kh Ratankumar for improvement of the National Highway- 37 connecting Jiribam and Imphal.

The Union Minister told him that the Centre takes the over-all development of the North East region on priority.

Manipur Transport minister Dr Khumukcham Ratankumar today met the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at Transport Bhawan here and congratulated him on becoming the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways.

During the meeting, the Manipur Transport Minister drew attention of the Union Minister for the launch of the Imphal- Mandalay Bus service before the Manipur Sangai Festival scheduled to be held from November 11 to 30, 2014 at Imphal.

He reminded the Union minister that the MOW and draft protocol had been signed between representatives of the Government of India and Republic of Myanmar during an inter-ministerial bilateral meeting held at Nay Pyi Taw on June 13, 2014.

Officers from Manipur had also attended the meeting.

He also requested the Union Minister to take up the immigration issues at Moreh in India to smoothen the travel plan of Imphal-Mandalay Bus Service.

Drawing the attention of the Imphal-Jiribam Road in Manipur, Dr Ratankumar requested the Union Minister to construct RCC bridges over Makru, Barak and Irang rivers along the NH-37 on priority.

He apprised that the highway connected the State capital with the only rail head at Jiribam and is the main lifeline of the State.

He urged the Union Minister to make the National Highway into four lanes.

Dr Ratankumar told the Union Minister that most of the food grains and other essential commodities for the State come from Jiribam. Since trucks remain stranded for long at Jiribam disturbing the vehicular traffic at the sub-division, construction of an inter State Truck Terminus at Jiribam is also needed to be taken up on priority. Acquisition of land measuring 8.87 acres had already been completed and the concept paper for an estimated cost of Rs. 25 crores had been submitted by the state Government to the North Eastern Council for funding, he had said.

He also drew the attention of the Union Minister to take up the issue with the Ministry of Home Affairs for deploying National Highway Protection Force along the two National Highways- NH-37 and NH-2 for secure, undisturbed and tension free movement of vehicles along the highways.

He also requested the Union Minister to get scheme of Helicopter Service in Manipur approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs at the earliest.

He said, “In order to fulfil the public demand, the State government has prepared a scheme to introduce Helicopter Service to cover the remote and difficult hill areas of the State. The scheme is being taken up with the ministry of Home Affairs”.

He also drew the attention of the Union Minister to declare Imphal- Mayang Imphal Road and Finch Corner on NH-150 to Tengnoupal on NH-2 having a length of 206 km as National Highways.

He urged the Union Minister to approve the alternate alignment for bypassing the sinking zone on NH-2 between Maram and Mao during Annual Plan 2014-15 and further demanded sanctions for the construction of Lokchao Bridge on NH-2 at the Imphal-Moreh section at the earliest.

Dr Ratankumar invited the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to visit Manipur and the Union Minister accepted his invitation. The meeting was very cordial.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/gadkari-assures-ratankumar-imphal-jiribam-highway-would-be-improved/

IMPHAL, July 4: After a frustrating campaign in Delhi, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi has returned today this evening around 4.

It is also learnt that after his return from the national capital, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi had reportedly called on some of the cabinet ministers at his bungalow.

But, it remained unclear as to whether the CM had met with the ministers till the filing of this report.

The Chief Minister had left Imphal on July 1 the same day as deputy Chief Minister, Gaikhangam for the national capital.

Sources said that during their visit both the CM and the deputy CM attended a meeting of the AICC chaired by AK Antony.

It could not be ascertained as to whether both the State leaders were able to meet the AICC chief.

It may be worth metioning that Gaikhangam returned yesterday however he had remained unreachable both by media and party members.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/cm-returns-from-delhi-but-no-important-news/

IMPHAL, June 4: A team of the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights will be visiting the victim families of the tragic Thoubal Leishangthem Kaeli Makhong road accident tomorrow, said chairperson of the commission A Nabachandra.

A tragic and unfortunate road mishap involving a school van carrying 24 young students and a Tata truck yesterday morning around 6 had killed an eight-year-old student and left 16 other students injured five of them stated to be serious.

The injured students and the van driver who was also injured are all getting treatment at the Shija Hospital.

Following the tragic accident, this IFP reporter had visited the commission office and had a brief talk with the chairperson this afternoon.

He said there are already recommended guidelines regarding the transportation of school children since 2013.

However, no one seems to abide by the rules, he lamented.

He said regarding the implementation of the recommended guidelines in the districts, it is the prerogative of the district Child Welfare Committees to take the initiative.

When their efforts remain ineffective or when the district committees appeal for intervention, the state commission steps in and take stronger actions to impose the guidelines for transportation of students, he said.

Child Welfare Committee, Thoubal told IFP that within two days, the committee will held a meeting with the school students’ parents’ association, the van drivers’ association and the concerned authorities.

During the meeting, the number of students to be allowed in a school transportation vehicle will be fixed, he said.

He further said that as of now, he has contacted the Integrated Child Development Services, the District Transport Office and other concern authorities over the issue.

Meanwhile, the Manipur Alliance for Child Rights has strongly deplored that the concerned State government departments and Board have ignored and failed to comply with the recommendations of the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights, MCPCR regarding the setting up of a comprehensive school van/bus transport policy.

It said the MCPCR had passed a set of recommendations consisting of some 11 points in its Sou-moto case No 4 of 2013 in connection with the falling unconscious of 15 school going students inside a school van on May 23 in Imphal East.

Further according to the statement, the recommendations include constitution of a committee consisting of School Managing Committee, Van/Bus owners/drivers and representatives of parents, to fix the number of students in a school in a van/bus, among others.

It said the commission had forwarded its recommendations to the principal secretary (Education/S), the commissioner (Transport) and the member secretary, Manipur Pollution Control Board, however, these departments and the board has remained silent till date.

The Manipur Alliance for Child Rights have further appealed to the Chief Minister and the Health Minister to review the collapsing working condition of the Thoubal District Hospital, which had failed to give first-aid and ambulance service to the critically injured students.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/negligence-of-safety-guidelines-behind-thoubal-accident-mcpcr-macr/

Selection of 87 SI/Jem candidates withheld

IMPHAL, July 4: The State government is withholding 87 candidates selected for the post of SIs and Jemadars after detecting irregularities in the Home department’s recruitment process.

The 87 selected candidates faced a direct recruitment process in 2010.

According to a highly placed source, Additional Secretary of the State Home department had directed the Director General of Police Shahid Ahmed IPS in a written letter no- E-31/29/2010-PHQ (admn)/1779 dated March 3, 2014 to conduct an inquiry after receiving various complaints from the public and the selected candidates of SI and Jemadar posts demanding their appointment letters. As a result, a high level committee under ADGP (Home Guards) T Pachau conducted an inquiry and submitted the report which probed the allegations made against the recruitment of Sub-Inspectors and Jemadars.

The Additional Secretary (Home) examined the report thoroughly after which the government has decided to withhold their appointments until further notice.

87 candidates selected for the posts of Sub-Inspectors and Jemaders were found to be either over aged or belonging to the general category but entering their names under OBC, submitting fake sport certificates from YAS which couldn’t be found in YAS records, tempering with their dates of births in their Board of Secondary Education certificates, submitting fake NIOS certificates and BA certificates, not facing the Viva-voce, entering their names under SCs category when they belong to OBC and changing their height from 5’2’’ into 5’3’’ respectively.

The source further stated that the Police head quarters may take necessary actions to issue appointment orders in consideration for the remaining selected candidates in the combined merit list of SIs and Jemandars after following the required formalities.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/home-dept-cracks-the-whip-after-detecting-irregularities/

IMPHAL, July 4: The JAC formed in connection with the death of Sairem (n) Elangbam (o) Sushila and her daughter has been assured an enquiry by deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam who also holds the Home portfolio, said her uncle S Robindro today.

The deputy Chief Minister has also assured to instruct the SP of Imphal West for investigation into the case, he said.

The JAC had today accompanied by the local MLA submitted a memorandum to the deputy Chief Minister.

He said the deputy Chief Minister has also appealed the family members to take back the bodies and fulfil their religious obligations and responsibilities.

However, the JAC and family were adamant against taking back the bodies as the post mortem analysis reports were not shown to them, he said.

Spokesperson of the JAC, Hidangmayum manoj Sharma said that since the truth will come out only with the post mortem report, the JAC was adamant against taking back the body without knowing the post mortem analysis report.

The case is not that of a suicide, but it is plain murder with both the husband Dhiren and his first wife Bidyaluxmi being main suspects, he alleged.

Even if the government attempts to dispose the bodies, the JAC will block any such attempt, he said.

The JAC also staged a sit in protest at the Tera Keithel today with and displayed placards and a photo of the deceased.

On the other hand, Elangbam Leikai Meira Lup also staged a sit in protest against the dead at the Elangbam leikai Waiting Shed.

President of the lup, Ningthoujam Bashanti said the incident is not a suicide and the government should bring out the truth at the earliest.

Agitations will not stop until the real culprits are produced, she said while assuring all possible help to the JAC to fight for justice.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/deputy-cm-has-assured-action-sushila-jac/

IMPHAL, July 4: Relatives of the eight-year-old student killed in yesterday’s Thoubal Leishangthem Kaeli Makhong road accident and others who are undergoing treatment at Shija Hospital stormed the Chief Minister’s Bungalow this evening demanding the arrest of the Tata truck driver involved and financial assistance for treatment of those injured.

It has been learnt that the family members met with the Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi along with managing director Shija Hospital and Research Institute, Lamphel Dr Kh Palin in the evening after which the body of the student was handed over for post mortem at JNIMS and subsequently over to the family members.

Earlier in the evening, speaking to the media in front of the Chief Minister’s bungalow, a relative of one of the students had alleged that the hospital authority had denied handing over the body as the family was yet to clear the bills.

She had also alleged that the hospital has refused to continue with the treatment of the injured students and demanded clearance of the hospital dues first, which has already crossed Rs Seven lakh for all the students combined, she added.

Others said that the Chief Minister being the local MLA should provide some financial assistance to the families of those students undergoing treatment.

A large number of people comprising of relatives and local neighbours of the students had today convened a meeting in their locality and later proceeded towards Imphal to meet the Chief Minister in the afternoon.

The vehicles carrying the protestors were stopped in front of the Manipur University Gate by police personnel on duty, however, the angry family members and locals managed to force their way through the security barricade.

They were further detained at the Kakwa Bazar area, but later allowed to proceed towards Imphal escorted by a police team.

On reaching the Chief Minister’s bungalow, the protestors were angered after they were told that the Chief Minister was busy and tried to storm the CM’s bungalow.

Later, police took in some of their representatives in the bungalow.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/8-year-olds-body-claimed-families-seek-financial-relief-for-others-injured/

KANGPOKPI, July 4: As part of the Kuki Inpi Manipur proposed ‘peaceful protest rally’ taken out today in eight selected locations in the State, thousands of Kuki people from Kangpokpi and its adjoining areas also joined the rally at Kangpokpi to show their solidarity in the demand for justice “long denied to them”.

More than 6000 Kuki people congregated at Brig Thomas Ground, Kangpokpi this morning around 11 am before marching towards the addl DC complex to submit a memorandum though the United Naga Council (UNC) has expressed serious concern over KIM’s proposed rally.

Addressing the crowd Dr S Chongloi, secretary Kuki Movement for Human Rights, a delegate of Kuki Inpi Manipur at Kangpokpi rally today pointed out that the United Naga Council on October22, 1992 served a ‘Quit Notice’ duly signed by the then UNC president RK Thekho and secretary Francis to the Kuki people settled in Manipur to flush out the Kukis from their land before adding that the same ‘Quit Notice’ copy was openly given to the State Government through DC, SDO and the central government while it was also published in all leading newspapers of the State.

The Quit Notice warned the Kuki people to face the ugliest form of torment if they (the Kuki) failed to desert their land within a stipulated time continued Dr S Chongloi while pointing out that the governments glaring apathy and negligence towards the open warning against the Kukis led to the slaughter of 905 innocent Kukis, including children, men, women and the aged; uprooting of 360 villages; and displacement of around 1,00,000 people who were still denied to go back to their own villages by the NSCN-IM in 1993.

The Nagas are not fighting against the Kukis, Dr S Chongloi asserted before adding that such ‘criminal and genocidal acts’ of the NSCN-IM towards the innocent Kuki is a direct challenge to the Government of India and desiring independence for the Nagas.

Dr S Chongloi further continued that with Government of India remaining a mute spectator, the traditional Kuki apex body Kuki Inpi had to be revived on June 29, 1993 where three solid resolutions were adopted by the Kukis.

As per the resolution when UNC was called upon for clarification of the murdering, they blatantly kept mum saying that the NSCN-IM forbid them from saying anything, Dr S Chongloi added.

He said the Meitei also disagreed with the terror unleashed by the NSCN-IM upon the Kukis when asked.

The Kukis then asked the Government of India to deliver Justice to those innocent Kuki killed; uprooted villages and those displaced Kuki people who are still unable to go back to their own villages with more than 60 memoranda already submitted in this regard, noted Dr S Chongloi.

He added that even United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, UNPFII came to acknowledge the plights of the Kukis and the terror acts of NSCN-IM when Black Day was observed and a mass protest rally had been carry out on January 10, 1996 at the State capital demanding the Government of India to first settle the grievances or the plight of the Kuki people with justice.

Today’s rally is a continuation of the said 1996 Imphal rally with the same demand after 18 years asserted Dr S Chongloi while affirming that now if the Government of India fails to settle the plights of the Kukis with justice before they reached any possible agreement with the NSCN-IM Government of India would be assumed as ‘Murderer, destroyer and disarticulator’.

The Kuki traditional policy is non-communal, peaceful co-existence and justice for all, he said while adding that KIM’s movement is for justice, peace and harmony.

The congregate marched towards the addl DC Complex via NH-2 and later submitted a Memorandum of Protest Rally to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi through addl DC, Sadar Hills, Senapati district by Seikhomang Khongsai and N. Sehjalien Gangte, president and secretary respectively of Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills in the presence of Dr S Chongloi on behalf of the Kuki people.

The rally witnessed placards reading, “Settle first the plights of victimized Kukis”, “NSCN-IM committed war crime, NSCN-IM is terrorist”, “No Fencing in the Middle of Hill Independent Country”, “Justice delayed is justice denied”, etc. by the participants.

The memorandum implored the Prime Minister to understand and first settle the plight of the Kuki people before any possible agreement with the NSCN-IM and urged the PM to instruct the responsible authority to serve and restore justice while expressing hope that the Prime Minister’s immediate intervention will usher in peace and harmony while the people will see the light of justice.

Copies of the same memorandum has also been address to Secretary General, UN, Geneva Ban Ki Moon; Chief Secretariat, UNPFII, New York, UN HQs; all Chief Ministers of the North Eastern States; National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi.

Today rally at Kangpokpi was also participated by members of Kuki Inpi Gunhom Lhang, Kuki Inpi Twilang Lhang, Kuki Inpi Twibul Lhang, Kuki Inpi Moltam Lhang, Kuki Students’ Organization Sadar Hills, KWU Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi Town Committee, Kangpokpi Women Welfare Organization and Kangpokpi Youth Union apart from various other CSOs and the general public.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/more-than-6000-congregated-at-kpi-rally/