Ibobi cautioned on ‘impending’ drought

Imphal, July 7: The impending drought and the government’s “failure” to tackle the situation rocked Manipur Assembly today.

Cutting across party lines, members cautioned the Okram Ibobi Singh government that the state would face famine next year unless the government took effective steps in the next two weeks. In fact, the issue was raised by ruling member N. Mangi Singh of the CPI, a partner in the Secular Progressive Front ministry.

Fear of crop failure and imminent famine next year is rising in the state especially as the Centre is yet to accept the state government’s declaration of drought in Manipur.

The relief and disaster management department had declared Manipur a drought-hit state on June 25 and sent an SOS to the Centre for immediate aid. But the Centre is yet to respond to the appeal, agriculture minister N. Loken Singh told the Assembly today.

The minister also said his department had purchased 300 pump sets to lift water from rivers and lakes and had made the river lift irrigation scheme fully functional to meet the farmers’ demand.

The Ibobi Singh cabinet had cleared a Rs 5.91-crore action plan on June 20 for irrigating 3.5 lakh hectares of paddy field in both the hills and the valley. This included buying of pump sets, growing of paddy nursery, construction of temporary dams and supply of water through river lift irrigation system.

“Each of the 60 Assembly constituencies will have five to six pump sets in the next few days. The government hopes to face the drought effectively if all the MLAs, farmers and NGOs co-operate with the government,” Loken Singh said.

The members said the measures taken by the government were not enough and the chief minister should co-ordinate all the departments and take measures on a war-footing.

“If the farmers do not start planting by July 20, Manipur will face famine next year. The chief minister should lead the fight,” Mangi Singh said.

Opposition leader Okram Joy Singh said the pump sets distributed by the government to the farmers were not enough. The officials are sitting in their chambers when they should all be out in the fields, he said.

“They are not taking serious note of the impending disaster,” he added.

Khasim Ruivah, an Independent MLA from Ukhrul district, alleged that the government was focusing only on the valley and neglecting the farmers in the hills.

“The hills, too, are dry and the farmers have not been able to start paddy cultivation. The government should do something immediately for the hills as well,” he said.

CM wants JN Medical College to begin session by this year

IMPHAL, Feb 6 : The chief minister O Ibobi Singh this morning visited the construction site of the JN Institute of Medical Sciences at Porompat to inspect the progress of the work there.

After inspecting the construction site and the construction process he said that it should be, as far as possible, completed within this month so that the academic session of the new institute could begin from August this year.

The chief minister after seeing some of the poor quality control measures taken at the site asked the authorities to reconstruct the portions properly.

When enquired by the mediamen present on the occasion, the chief minister said on the sidelines of the inspection that the ceasefire agreement between the NSCN(IM) and the Indian government was only meant for the state of Nagaland and there were no grounds for the NSCN(IM) to build their camp inside Manipur. The state government was looking into the matter carefully, he added.

He further said that the state government would take strong action against anti-social elements to stop the menace of extortion of money.

The chief minister, health and family welfare minister Ph Parijat Singh, works minister K.Ranjit Singh and chairman of the PDA Kh Loken Singh inspected the administrative block cum library building, OPD block and the boys and girls hostels during the visit.

Foundation laid for Olympic Bhavan

Imphal, Feb 1 : Chief Minister O Ibobi has laid foundation stone for Manipur Olympic Bhavan at Khuman Lampak Sports Complex today, informed a DIPR release.

Speaking at the foundation stone laying function as chief guest, the Chief Minister stated that Manipur is a treasure house of sports.

Observing that Manipur players have been able to occupy a respectable position in the field of sports by representing India in different international sporting events, Ibobi declared that talented sports persons will be given Government jobs under the State's Sports Policy based on their achievements.

Stating that the Olympic Bhavan, Sports Academy buildings and all other structures which would be valuable assets of the present generation as well as for the future should be constructed maintaining quality, Ibobi called upon all to keep Khuman Lampak Sports complex neat and clean and also not impose any hindrance to all development works.

In his presidential speech, Manipur Olympic Association president MLA Bijoy Koijam drew attention of the Chief Minister to host National Youth Games within next year after seeking approval of the Indian Olympic Association so as to identify and groom more talented players and players with potential in the State.

Bijoy Koijam also expressed desire to keep a full fledged Director exclusively for sports.

MLA I Hemochandra who is also vice-president of the MOA, also attended the foundation stone laying function.

The Olympic Bhavan would be 101 feet in length and 40 feet in breadth.

It will have three storeys.

The Bhavan will have Olympic museum, exhibition hall, meeting/conference room, restaurant, health care room, guest rooms etc.

The Bhavan will be constructed by the Manipur Police Housing Corporation Limited as executing agency at the estimated cost of Rs 323.50 lakhs from SPA.

Counting from March this year, the building is targeted for completion within 18 months, added the release.

CM lays foundation stone of Manipuri Sahitya Parishad building

IMPHAL, Jan 29 : Chief minister O Ibobi Singh today laid the foundation stone of the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad building at Sangaipat in Imphal east along with ritual ceremonies.

In today`s programme the chief minister said that to bring about a welfare society there was a great need for literature while adding that the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad tries not only to bring up Manipuri culture, language, and other different cultures and languages in Manipur but also those of the neighbouring states.

He also said that the government would help as much as possible in building the new premises of the parishad and was planning to complete the construction of the ground floor before the commencement of the rainy season.

Guest of honour of today`s function, E Kunjakeshwor, deputy chairman, state planning board said that the parishad was trying to develop Manipuri literature and a building of its own was the dream of all concerned with the parishad. The people should help in completion of the building as soon as possible, he added.

Guest of honor, Kh Loken Singh said that those people who try to develop language and literature would remain a part of Manipur`s history. He also said that he would be contributing Rs. 1 lakh from his local area development fund for the building.

B Jayantakumar Sharma, president of the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad in his presidential speech said that the parishad was still not complete as there was always lack of money. However, literature lovers are contributing from their pockets for the development of the parishad, he added.

He urged all to keep alive literature as it gave an identity to the state. Small communities without literature are merging into bigger communities, so in order to save our community we should save our literature, he said.