Manipur News

Chennai, Feb 8 (ANI): Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari on Friday lashed out at Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai for hitting out at the Manmohan Singh-led UPA II Government at an international forum, and said that constitutional authorities should be circumscribed by the ‘Lakshman Rekha’ propriety.
“Well, I think it’s not a question of accountants-qua-auditors. The question is about integrity of numbers. Our question as to Mr. CAG where is the 1,76,000 crores, still continues to hang in the air. So, therefore it’s most unfortunate that the CAG rather than validating the integrity of his numbers chooses to criticize the government on foreign soil and at foreign for a,” said Tewari.
“And this is not the first time that he has done it and I think constitutional authorities should be circumscribed by the ‘Lakshman Rekha’ propriety,” he added.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh, however, refused to comment on the issue.
“I have neither read any statement nor any report of the CAG. Until I don’t read it, how can I make any comment,” he told media in New Delhi.
In his lecture at the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts (U.S.) yesterday, the CAG took on the government for attempting to reduce the federal auditor to a mere accountant with no real role in auditing policy.
Rai, whose reports on losses from 2G spectrum and coal block allocations sparked allegations of massive corruption in the government, said that the role of a public auditor cannot be confined to merely placing reports in Parliament.
“Should we as public auditors limit our role to placing reports in Parliament or go beyond that and seek to sensitise public opinion on our audit observations, especially in the social sector such as rural health, primary education, water pollution, environment, drinking water etc?” he said.
It may be recalled here that the Congress-led UPA II Government has debunked the CAG’s reports and accused it of exceeding its mandate.
In the CAG’s defence, Rai said that Indian democracy is maturing and the urban middle class is getting more involved in citizen’s affairs. “We continue to tread the new path in the belief that the final stakeholder is the public at large. The CAG’s audits ensure judicious use of public money,” Rai said.
“We may not be able to wipe out corruption, but our endeavour is to uncover instances of crony capitalism. The government should be seen to support enterprise per se and not particular entrepreneurs,” he added.
Maintaining that the auditing of government and public entities has a positive impact on trust in society, Rai said: “It focuses the minds of the custodians of the public purse to use resources effectively, as they know that after an audit scrutiny, the public will be aware of their actions.”

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/tewari-pulls-up-cag-for-targetting-govt-at-international-forum/

DIMAPUR, Feb 8 NNN: Again, when the speculations on the early settlement of the vexed Naga political issue have been fueled, a serious loggerhead has cropped up between the NSCN-IM and the government of India.
The blow-hot, blow cold relation between the government of India and the NSCN-IM has been getting murkier every passing day with both the groups are confronting the other in their own sweet way.
With the increasing cases of the Assam Rifles arresting NSCN-IM cadres with weapons accusing them as ‘to be used in the ensuing elections”, the NSCN-IM said today that New Delhi is imposing its diktat on the Naga outfit.
Addressing a press conference today at Camp Hebron, V.S.Atem who is the ‘emissary’ to NSCN-IM collective leadership’ (Th Muivah and Isak Chisi Swu), accused the government of India of imposing its own way of cease fire ground rules on the NSCN-IM.
Few days ago, Chairman of the Cease Fire Monitoring Group (CFMG) N George to the NSCN-IM banning the carrying of weapons by the latter’s cadres even if they are card holders.
“As per the ground rules of the cease fire, card holders of our cadres can carry their weapons,” V.S Atem said. The NSCN-IM leader terms the act of New Delhi as ‘blatant violation of cease fire ground rules’.
V.S Atem then said the NSCN-IM is taking seriously with the development and the outfit had held a meeting yesterday. “If the ceasefire ground rules are to be violated like this, then the fate of the cease fire is in a great threat,” V.S Atem said. He then said the NSCN-IM is not going to oblige to the latest diktat of the government of India come what may.
Harping on the other front, V.S Atem Atem accused Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh of ‘stoking communal fires between the Nagas and the Manipuris’ by means of impressing upon the ‘Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister of India to wipe out all the NSCN designated camps from Manipur.’
“To give this kind of reckless statement by Mr Ibobi amounts to stoking of communal fire between the Nagas and the Manipuris. And this will definitely be treated as a violation of the ceasefire agreement by a constituent unit of the Government of India,” V.S Atem added.
On the numerous cases of the NSCN-IM cadres shipping in to Nagaland with large number of weapons in recent time, V.S Atem said they were the claims of the Assam Rifles. “We are not aware of those things,” said Atem.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/nscn-charges-centre-of-imposing-new-cease-fire-rules/

IMPHAL, Feb 8 NNN : The Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) said it is ‘watching and observing’ the steps taken by the government for political dialogue with the Kukis for political settlement/solution.
“Time will take its course if delaying tactic is adopted on the excuse of official procedures and the resumption of mass movement/protest – PUBLIC BLOCKADE temporarily suspended will be the responsibility of the government,” the KSDC said today.
During the temporary suspension of the ‘public blockade’ and after the boycott called on the Republic Day celebration 2013 in all the Kuki inhabited areas of Manipur, the KSDC team landed in Aizawl for wide range of consultation with leaders from various Mizos’ civil organisations and individuals with regards to the demand for Kuki State.
On Febuary 6 at SAVIDGE HALL, Aizawl under the aegis of Zo-Reunification Organisation (ZORO), consultative meeting was held with representatives from various civil organisations of Mizoram (ZORO Central Committee and Zones, Mizoram Students’ Union, Mizoram Chiefs’ Council, MUP, MHIP, intellectuals, and former MNF leaders/commanders and four representatives from KSDC led by the Chairman, Hejang Haokip). Various issues from the past (during MNF’s movement to the contemporary political and social scenario) pertaining to the Kuki-Chin-Mizo (ZO) was presented and discussed in that august meeting, three important resolutions were adopted.
“The meeting vehemently condemned the Kuki genocide led by the NSCN (IM) leading to the loss of more than 1000 innocent life including women and children, burning down of 350 Kuki villages and rendered more than one lakh Kuki population homeless and the atrocities committed to the Kuki brethren in Manipur by the Manipur undergrounds by planting landmines killing many and injuring many more and ambushing Indian security forces in Kuki areas and resolved that ZORO will put up the case before the UN Human Rights Council in the forth coming Forum,” the KSDC said.
The meeting also condemned in an equivocal term, the alleged discrimination done to the Kukis by the government of Manipur towards the Kukis in developmental projects and others.
The meeting then resolved to fully support demand for the Kuki State in Manipur by brethren Kukis as the demand is legitimate and is to safeguard our rights and dignity.
The meeting further resolved to pressurise from states to union levels that before any solution is given to the Nagas/NSCN (IM) in Manipur, Kuki political solution/settlement should be made.
“The meeting with the Peace Accord Mizo National Front (MNF) Returnees Association (PAMRA) was emotional as they recalled the time during the MNF movement and to show their solidarity endorsed to support the demand for Kuki State. The meetings with senior leaders and politicians were also encouraging,” the KSDC stated.The KSDC then said it will continue its consultation in Manipur and outside.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/kuki-body-watching-situation-closely/

IMPHAL, Feb 8 (MNS/NNN): Manipur Cabinet today took serious note of the alleged ‘hate speech’ by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and expressed apprehension about the adverse impact of his political speech on inter-state and inter-ethnic relations and on communal harmony.
A Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi was held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat here this afternoon during which the meeting condemned the statement of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio that Ibobi was one of the biggest enemies of the Nagas at an election rally at Zunheboto in Dimapur on February 6, M Okendro, Education minister and the state Government spokesperson, told journalists after the meeting at his office chamber in the New Secretariat this evening.
It also decided that the state Home Department should convey the state Government’s concern to Ministry of Home Affairs and Election Commission of India for such irresponsible and provocative public statement of Neiphiu Rio and that such statement should be avoided in the larger public interest, he said.
The Cabinet meeting discussed 16 different agenda among which it approved the declaration by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways three state Highways of Manipur as National Highways.
The three National Highways are the NH-102 B starting from Churachandpur on NH-2 connecting Singhat, Sinzawal, Tuivai road and terminating at Myanmar road in the state, NH-102 A, the highway starting from Tadubi on NH-2 connecting Paomata and terminating at Ukhrul on NH-202 and NH-137, the highway starting from Rengpang on NH-37, Khongsang and terminating at Tamenglong.
The Cabinet also approved for recruitment of 44 Section Officers (SOs) for PWD. It also approved to pay land compensation to the land owners of the NH-53 where rail line is being developed besides appointment of contract staff for National Vector Borne Disease Department.
It further approved to implement the MoU signed between the state Government and organization of work-charged employees of five engineering departments in the state.
The Cabinet also approved to increase the Dearness Allowance given to the state Government employees to 65 percent from the present 58 percent.
It also approved to pay an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh and another Government job to the family of Laishram Ibohanbi, a head Constable in Manipur Police. He was found dead at Fins Corner in Ukhrul district on January 3.
Meanwhile, Advocate Khaidem Mani today dubbed the statement of Nagaland Chief Minister Neipiu Rio that Manipur Chief Minister was one of the biggest enemies of the Nagas as a “hate speech.”
“Neiphiu Rio could be booked and sentenced to five years jail term under IPC for his alleged communal remarks that might spark tensions between the people of the two neighboring states”, advocate Khaidem Mani told journalists at the Cheirap Court complex here.
He said, “Such statement is hated by responsible citizens and also they always condemn it.”
It was an attempt of Rio to create enmity between the 34 different communities of Manipur and that of Nagaland, Khaidem Mani alleged, terming the statement as a non-political statement but an incitement of hostility between the two states.
Khaidem Mani said, “The Nagaland Chief Minister can be booked and sentenced to five years jail term under IPC 153-A for his hate speech. It is a non-bailable offence and non-compoundable offence as well.”
Chief Minister Rio had stated during an election rally at Zunheboto in Dimapur, Nagaland on February 6 that Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi was one of the biggest enemies of the Nagas and that he was responsible for suppression of the Nagas in Manipur.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/cabinet-condemns-rios-statement/