Day: March 22, 2012

IMPHAL, March 22: The last sitting of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly today finished in record time, and everything was wrapped up in 45 minutes.

In normal sittings, one hour is allotted for the Question Hour before other businesses are taken up. But, there was only one question today.

In the whole session, there were only two questions. Both the questions were asked by gaintkiller Karam Shyam of Langthabal. He had defeated the veteran MPP leader Okram Joy.

There was no Question Hour in the first two days. The first sitting began on March 19 with the address of the state Governor Gurbachan Jagat in the afternoon at 2 pm. The second day started with an obituary reference to the late MLA of Thangmeiband Kumarjit Singh.

Replying to K Shyam’s question Chief Minister O Ibobi  said, an amount of Rs 120 lakhs was sanctioned for the 2nd phase of Chandranadi project.

He said, with the coming up of the Manipur University complex and other institutions resectioning and modernization of the existing channel section of Chandranadi is required to carry the storm water.

During Zero Hour, lone NCP MLA Laishom Ibomcha of Keishamthong raised the issue of water scarcity and load shedding.

He said, CFL bulbs should be made mandatory so as to ease power consumption.

MSCP MLA Paonam Brojen of Wangjing Tentha raised the need for a Manipur Bhavan in Mumbai to facilitate cancer patients from Manipur.

After the ZeroHour, Trinamool MLAs Dr Ibohalbi and Kh Joykishan in a Calling Attention Motion raised the issue of alleged misappropriation of RKVY funds in the state Veterinary Department.

Dr Ibohalbi said, a newspaper has reported that payments have not been made to selected beneficiaries of the piggery scheme under RKVY.

He questioned as to whether the report is true or not, and if it is true what action has the government taken in this regard.

Giving his reply CM Ibobi Singh said, the report is not true and he has pulled up officials of the department for not clarifying in time.

Later, after passing two Appropriation Bills the Speaker Th Lokeshwar Singh adjourned the first session of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly sine die.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/assembly-sitting-gone-in-45-minutes/

IMPHAL, March 22: “Khangenbam Naocha was killed after being picked out from among his friends by a team of Bishnupur police CDOs and 33 Assam Rifles personnel while he was collecting money borrowed by one Pukhrambam Inaokhohee, 30 son of (l) Bijoy of Wangoo Sabal Mayai Leikai”, claimed family members today.

Khangenbam Naocha, 28 son of (l) Bor Singh of Wangoo Naodakhong was allegedly killed by a team of Cdo Bishnupur and 33 AR personnel during an encounter at Wangoo Sabal Mayai Leikai on Wednesday at around 8:40pm and recovered one 9mm pistol alongwith three live rounds from him, according to the police.

Negating the police claim of killing Naocha during an encounter, family members of the deceased has said that he was killed at the courtyard of Inaokhohee in front of his friends.

According to the family members, Naocha who works as a mason at Saikul had returned home at around 4:30pm on Wednesday.

However, instead of going straight to his home, he along with two of his co-workers and another friend lingered behind at a wine vendor, run by one Pukhrambam Somen of Wangoo Sabal Mayai leikai at his residence.

At around 8:30pm, he alongwith his companions came out of the vendor and went directly to the residence of Pukhrambam Inaokhohee to collect the sum of Rs 1300, which the latter had borrowed from him, family members informed.

However, even as he received the money, an argument ensued between the two, during which a team of the CDO Bishnupur and 33 Assam Rifles arrived at the scene and picked Naocha out and shoot him at the courtyard after making him lay down, the family alleged.

Further according to the family Naocha was a cadre of the UNLF, however after an arrest by police Cdos in the year 2006 from Moirang and after spending one and a half months in the jail, he had severed all ties with the outfit. He had started his own business of cutting wood and selling it alongwith masonry works.

He is survived by his wife and a one and half year old daughter, family source informed.

Post mortem was conducted on the dead body this evening at the RIMS morgue.

Family members have confirmed that they will received the body, however will further consult the local NGOs, clubs and Meira paibis on further steps to be taken out against the alleged fake encounter.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/fake-encounter-claim-surfaces-yet-again/

IMPHAL, March 22: The Manipur State Youth Policy 2011 was criticized today in a national seminar on Youth, Peace and Development organized by National Service Scheme (NSS) Cell of Manipur University in Imphal.

The 2 day seminar was sponsored by the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, Sriperumbudur.

Besides scholars from outside the state, the afternoon session had Human Rights Activist Babloo Loitongbam and journalists Irengbam Arun and Yumnam Rupachandra.

As deliberations on the state youth policy began in the session held at the Senate Hall of Manipur University, speaker after speaker criticized the policy for lack of vision and direction.

Resident Editor of IFP Irengbam Arun said, it cannot be called a policy document as such but observations and it fail to address the real issues of the youth in the state.

He said, a policy document should start with the basic question of where do we want our youth to go and achieve. It has to set the stage for channelizing the vibrant energy of our youth, as reflected in the field of sports and education, and art and culture.

Dr N Jiten of MU Centre for Myanmar Studies said, the youths should be consulted in framing a youth policy and the question of what do the youth want should have priority.

Meanwhile, the Sports Movement Committee Manipur is organizing a state level seminar in association with Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, Manipur University, Directorate of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of Manipur and Sports Authority of India (NERC) Takyel, Manipur, under the theme “Sports movement in 21st century in Manipur” from April 3-5 at Centenary hall Manipur University, Canchipur.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/state-youth-policy-lambasted/

NEW DELHI, March 22 (MIC): The President of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil has extended the greetings to all the Manipuri communities on the occasion of Sajibu Cheiraoba Festival being celebrated tomorrow.

In her message released from Rashtrapati Bhavan here today on the occasion of Chaitra Sukladi, Ugadi, Gudi Padava, Chetti Chand, Navreh and Sajibu Cheiraoba which shall be celebrated tomorrow, Pratibha Devisingh Patil said: “On the auspicious occasion of Chaitra Sukladi, Ugadi, Gudi Padava, Cheti Chand, Navreh and Sajibu Cheiraoba, I send my greetings to all those celebrating these festivals in different parts of the country.

May these festivals, strengthen the bonds of unity amongst the people of different regions of the country”. 

Cheiraoba marks the New Year of Manipuri communities. It is celebrated on the first day of the Manipuri month Sajibu which falls in the month of March or April. It is also a sacred and socio-religious festival of Manipuri people. Family feasting and pilgrimage up the Cheiraoching hill marked the occasion.

On the day of festival, people clean and decorate their houses. They wear new clothes.

The best seasonal vegetables and fruits are offered to the Almighty God and Goddess namely, Lainingthou Sanamahi and Ima Leimarel Shidabi, which are worshipped in each house.

Special festive dishes are then prepared from the vegetables having offered to the deities, for a grand feast for the family.

After the preparation, the cooked foods are offered by the elder of the house outside the gate to the three deities- Iram Maba Tumaba, Iram Senba Tusenba and Kumsana Puriklai for protection of the family and then all the family members together have the feast.

The married women give their parents and brothers gifts on the occasion. The youths seek the blessings of the elders of the family.

After the feast, people all dressed in the pious traditional attires will climb the nearest hill-top in the belief that it will enable them to rise to greater heights in the worldly life. People will exchange greetings and new ideas.

On every Cheiraoba, a new Cheithaba is selected. The Cheithaba is the one who records the major events in the Cheitharol Kumbaba (Royal Chronicle). The uninterrupted line of Cheithaba since the reign of the 15th century king Kyamba are found recorded in the Cheitharol Kumbaba.

The major events since 33 AD are recorded in the Cheitharol Kumbaba under royal patronage.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/president-greets-people-on-sajibu-cheiraoba/

NEW DELHI, March 22 (agencies): Newly appointed railway minister Mukul Roy announced a rollback in some of the rail fares that were announced last week in the Rail Budget.

Mukul Roy told Parliament that fares for first and second class passengers in air-conditioned carriages would still go up, but there would be no increase for other classes of travel more commonly used by the poor.

“The proposal to increase (fares) will impact the common man,” Roy said. “I intend to give relief by not increasing fares in any of these classes.”

The proposed increase in passenger fares, the first in eight years, was aimed at shoring up the finances of a rail network whose dysfunction has become a major drag on the economy.

The objection to the increase, led by UPA ally Trinamool Congress, underscored the inability of Manmohan Singh`s government to take unpopular steps and its vulnerability in the face of querulous coalition allies.

Saying it was important to run railways economically and safely, Roy announced there would be no increase in passenger fares.

Mukul Roy also said he intends to launch an aggressive drive to mop up resources for the railways. Unmanned level crossing to be removed, he said.

Former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi, who had announced an increase in passenger fares across all classes in the Rail Budget on March 14, faced a lot of flak from Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee and was forced to resign over the issue a few days later.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/mukul-roy-announces-rollback-in-rail-fare-hike/