Minister's comments irks CCpur body

Churachandpur, July 5 : Dejected over the statement made on the floor of the House yesterday by Works Minister K Ranjit regarding the status of Guite Road, Churachandpur District Students' Union (CDSU) today expressed surprise by terming the statement as 'irresponsible'.

The union took strong exception to 'the irresponsible statement made by the Works Minister K Ranjit on the floor of the Assembly for allegedly pretending to being unaware of the handing over of Guite Road to BRO which had already been discussed and approved by the Cabinet at CM's chamber on September 2, 2006 at 4 pm with Chief Minister himself in the chair,' said a statement issued by the union.

It also attached a copy of the said Cabinet proceedings that testify Th Debendra, Phungzathang Tonsing, Parijat Singh, Govindas Konthoujam, W Leima Devi and Allauddin Khan as (former) Ministers present and Chief Minister O Ibobi appending his signature.

Officers present as shown in the memo were Jarnail Singh and P Bharat Singh.

The proceedings further showed that the Cabinet discussed Manipur State Commission for OBCs Act, 2006 in its first agenda and the proposal for handing over Churachandpur-Singngat-Sinzawl-Tuivai road to BRO in its second (un-notified) agenda.

The decision then reads, 'discussed and approved to hand over the construction of Churachandpur-Singngat-Sinzawl-Tuivai road to the BRO'.

CDSU in its statement also mentioned of the Ministry of Defence, GOI in impressing the BRO/BRDB which already accepted to take over four roads in the State including Guite Road under GS funding.

Clearly peeved over the Minister's alleged statement, CDSU demanded clarification within three days and threatened to initiate social boycott of the Minister concerned if their demand is not fulfilled within the stipulated time.

It may be noted here that since 2006, the local populace here has been consistently demanding that Guite Road be handed over to the BRO, and the alleged statement of works Minister K Ranjit claiming that no Cabinet decision had ever been adopted in this regard has infuriated many.

Front pages of local dailies today were filled with the Minister's statement in response to a query from Thanlon MLA V Hangkhanlian, and the reservation raise by student leaders.

Imphal west has highest number of job seekers

Imphal, July 5 : In the records of the state employment exchange at Lamphelpat in Imphal West, the district has recorded the highest number of job seekers among the nine districts of Manipur i.e 2,15,001 job seekers among whom 1,49,561 are male and 65,440 female.

The record of the unemployed government job seekers reached 6,43,652 till May, said a report of the exchange. Out of 6,43,652 job seekers in the state, 4,65,955 are male and 1,77,697 female.

The Imphal west district recorded 2,15,001 job seekers out of which 1,49,561 are male and 65,440 female whereas in Thoubal district the total number of job seekers was 95,960 persons out of which 75,945 are male and 20,015 female.

The Imphal east district recorded 91,439 out of whom 65,361 are male and 26,078 female. In Thoubal district the total number of job seekers was 95,960 out of which 75,945 are male and 20,015 female. In Bishnupur district the total number of job seekers was 57,751, out of whom 42,647 are male and 15,202 female. In Churachandpur district the total job seekers were 58,619 out of which 44,135 are male and 14,484 are female. In Ukhrul district the total number of job seekers was 26,350, out of whom 18,392 are male and 7,958 female. In Senapati district the total job seekers were 48,095, out of whom 34,935 are male and 13,160 are female. In Tamenglong district the number of job seekers was 19,372 out of whom 14,759 are male and 4,613 female, whereas in Chandel district the job seekers number was 23,518, out of whom 16,222 are male and 7,296 are female.

The special employment exchange for the handicapped also recorded 2,241 job seekers in the state and for the record 1,527 of them are male and 714 female.

The University Employment Information and Gaurdian Bureau, Canchipur also recorded 5,306 job seekers in total, out of which 2,569 are male and 2737 female.

It may be mentioned that in the month of April 2009 the record of the government job seekers under the employment exchange at Lamphelpat was 6,42,698.

Dengue fear rings alarm bell at Moreh, Manipur

IMPHAL, Jun 30: Even as Taothong area in Imphal West District has been grappling with outbreak of Malaria over the past few days, fresh report of many people suffering from Dengue like symptom in border town of Moreh has come in. According to sources from State Health Services, many people have been admitted to Moreh Hospital with symptoms of Dengue like fever.
Though the cases have not yet been confirmed as Dengue, it has also come to light that there is no facility either at the Hospitals under the State Government or at RIMS for laboratory testing in this regard, sources said, adding that a team of doctors from the State Health Services would be going to Moreh in the second week of July to find out the origin of the disease.

It is said for Manipur testing of Dengue, Malaria, Japanese Encephalitis and other such vector borne diseases are conducted at Vector Control and Research Centre, Puducherry.

It may be recalled here that the first cases of Dengue in Manipur had been detected at the border town of Moreh in 2007.

Meanwhile, Taothong area in Imphal West has been grappling with outbreak of Malaria with 18 cases confirmed from testing of around 400 suspected cases over the last few days.

Continuing the control effort, an official team of State Vector Borne Control Society has also collected some more blood samples from the affected area today.

However, fogging which was to be conducted today has been deferred due to inclement weather and it would be carried out tomorrow, according to information received by the press.

Manipur kids return home

Imphal, June 30: The 25 children who were rescued from Howrah station on June 17 were brought back to Manipur today.

L. Salony, a member of Senapati Child Welfare Committee said a Howrah court handed over three children to their parents. The remaining 22 were handed over to Salony.

The children, all of whom are from Senapati, were brought to Imphal today by flight and then taken to their district by bus. “They are safe now. We have informed their parents,” Salony said.

Senapati SP Nishit K. Ujwal said an inquiry found that the parents had willingly handed over the children to the pastors.

Non local traders sit-in-protest against killing of migrant workers

Protestors at the sit-in dharna at Chandel on Tuesday, June 30. (Morung Photo)

Chandel, June 30 (MExN): With the escalating incidences of killing of migrant workers in Manipur in the recent past, the non local business community in Manipur today in a ‘first of its kind’ collectively registered its protest against the indiscriminate killing.
About 100 non-local businessmen from various trades today took part in the peaceful sit-in protest in the new market area of the district headquarters Chandel from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Traders also closed down shops as a sign of protest and traffic was paralyzed but no untoward incident was reported during the dharna, the organizing committee of the sit in protest informed.
Poster and placards condemning the senseless killing and appeals to stop the killing of non local workers were displayed at the sit-in-protest. The protesters also called the authority in concern to bring justice by punishing the perpetrators of the crime.

Memorandum to the PM

In this regard a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister of India was also submitted by the traders to the Deputy Commissioner, Chandel, Devesh Deval.
A copy of the memorandum will also be placed before the Governor and the Chief Minister of Manipur. The traders in the memorandum addressed to the prime minister lamented the fact that despite heavy deployment of armed forces in the state of Manipur the killings of non-local laborers/traders by un-identified gunmen have continued unabated. The worst affected of these senseless killings are women and children, the memorandum noted.
The memorandum appealed the prime minister and his government to deliver “fair justice to all people of the country irrespective of cast, creed or color.” It demanded the protection and security for all non local workers in the state capital of Manipur. It further demanded that the perpetrators be brought to justice while also stating that equal compensation to all the victims be made.
The joint memorandum was signed by the Chandel Naga Peoples Organization, Naga Students Union, Chandel, Chairman Small Town Committee, Chandel, Non-local Traders Union, Chandel, Naga Women Union Chandel and the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights.

Migrant labourers demand security in Manipur

Imphal, Jul l : Migrant labourers of Bihar and West Bengal held a protest rally against the series of killings of labourers by militant groups in Manipur.


Over 400 migrant labourers from various part of the state participated in the demonstration organised by the state unit of All India Trade Union Congress.

Convenor of the protest rally, Joginder Gupta, asked the state government to provide protection to the migrant labourers in the wake of increasing attacks and killings.

A majority of the migrant labourers are living in relief camps in capital Imphal.

Migrant labourers from Bihar and West Bengal have started to move out of Manipur after six migrant labourers from Bihar were killed at a construction site in the Manipur University campus on 11th of this month.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had demanded security for migrant labourers in Manipur after this incident and also asked Bihar’s Chief Secretary to co-ordinate the safe return of the migrants.

It’s light at the end of the tunnel for Manipur tribals

IMPHAL: Tribals, young and old, in the remote villages of Old Lemta, Dunong and Makuinong in Manipur’s Tamenglong district bordering Nagaland have never seen electric light. Only the lucky few who visited Imphal or other towns in the country had seen this wonder.
However, thanks to the Manipur Renewable Energy Development Agency, a government undertaking, now the tribals have solar electricity. Solar lighting panels were installed at the personal initiative of N. Awangbow, MLA representing the remote and neglected villages.
C. Kadijaiwi, chieftain of Old Lemta, said it would take not less than half a century for the Electricity Department to power the villages. There are no modern amenities available to the villagers and electricity is still a pipe dream.
C. Hungamkhambou, chieftain of Dunong, said students had no light to study at night. A litre of kerosene costs Rs. 40 or more in the district. As poor villagers cannot afford to keep lamps, they have dinner before nightfall and go to bed soon after.
N. Wikambou, a pastor at Makuinong, said the villagers’ dream had now come true and they were grateful to officials and Mr. Awangbow.
As the sky is always clear in this mountainous area, there will be no dearth of solar power.
But, in the capital Imphal, the Electricity Department supplies power only for a few hours every day. In sharp contrast, there is round-the-clock power supply in the neighbouring Nagaland.
The Manipur government has been obtaining power from the NHPC-run Loktak Hydro Electric Project and the national grid.
However, the Power Department has been unable to clear outstanding bills, running to crores. It has been reported that government departments, ministers and high officials owe power bills amounting to over Rs. 15 crore. .
There are many villages which have electric posts and transmission lines, but no electricity. Now, the happy tribals of Tamenglong district feel that all remote villages should be provided solar lighting, which will illuminate their homes every night, rather than power connections.