Day: September 18, 2013

IMPHAL, Sept 18 NNN: The Zeliangrong Youth Front (Assam, Manipur & Nagaland) said it felt extremely dissatisfied with the incomplete construction of suspension bridge constructed over the river Barak between Dikiuram and Katang village in Tamei assembly constituency despite the fact of exhaustion of fund amounting to Rs.4 crores released by North Eastern Council (NEC) under DoNER.
According to the ZYF, apart from the fund amounting to Rs.4 crores released under NEC, it is learnt that the State government had given additional fund of Rs.50 lakhs for the said incomplete bridge under Special Plan Assistance.
“During the course of execution of the work, there has been frequent transferred of Executive Engineer of NEC Manipur Division. The official of NEC on many occasions assured the ZYF that the bridge will be completed very soon. However, there is still no sign of completion of the said bridge till date as the work of laying wooden plank and approach road is yet to commence,” the ZYF rued.
It may be pertinent to mention that similar suspension bridge construction work implemented by PWD Tamenglong Division, under the NEC of DoNER ministry, commenced in the same time, constructed on another point of location over the river Barak between Namtiram village was inaugurated and commission in the month of April this year, the ZYF said.
The PWD, Govt. of Manipur in a workshop held on 7th-8th August, 2013 at Tribal Research Institute (TRI), Imphal, with the theme “Road Connectivity in Hill districts” did not include the said suspension bridge constructed between Dikiuram and Katang among the lists of ongoing projects and incomplete works funded by NEC. But when asked to Chief Engineer, who was the resource person for the technical session during the workshop “why it was not mention”, he response it, “the said suspension bridge was completed therefore, no need for inclusion in the ongoing and incomplete work lists”.It is suspected that the State Govt. is deliberately adopted tardy progress of construction work of the said suspension bridge on the reason that the bridge will play pivotal role in facilitating transportation, improve economical condition of the people and enhance better communication between Tamenglong district and Nagaland.
The ZYF then alleged that the State government not completing the work despite the fact of fund being exhausted is a fit case of fraudulent, cheating, misappropriation, misutilization etc. of public development fund. “Therefore, the ZYF demands for immediate probe by one of the investigating agencies of the government of India why work was not completed despite the fund being exhausted. Memorandum will also be submitted urging the DoNER Ministry to wake up from slumber,” it warned.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/zyf-demands-completion-of-bridges/

Mail News Service
Imphal, Sep 18 : The All Loktak Lake area Fishermen’s Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) has said it strongly objects to the Short Term Action Plan (STAP) granted to the Loktak Lake Development Authority (LDA) and the reported extension of the plan till March 2014 by the Planning Commission of India to save the lake and its surrounding wetlands, alleging the activities taken up by the LDA are “totally contrary” to those well-established principles of the Ramsar Convention for the wise use of wetlands.
ALLAFUM today said in a statement the Loktak fishermen have never known any state or agency that conducted spot visit to the lake and having interaction with the lake fishermen and that such an action plan has been granted based on the information collected by picking and choosing table-job.
It said, “We question the veracity of the monitoring and evaluation carried out by the Water Institute, Karunya University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.” It added the fact is that a sum of Rs 224 crore was sanctioned to controversial K-Pro Infra Works Private Limited for clearing 2361.21 sq km phumdis in the lake and it was reported that only 122.43 sq cubic phumdis had been cleared from the core zone of the lake that has resulted in shifting the phumdis from one area to another thereby releasing athapum by the fishermen.
Phumdi clearance has resulted in the increase of poor quality water and decrease in the number of indigenous fish like shareng, pengba, khabak, ngaton, ngamu and nganoi, it said, adding migratory birds like nganu kokngangbi, nganu thangong, meitungnga, thoidinglam, tahroichabi have been out of sight in the lake since the commission of Ithai Barrage.
The report by Wetlands International South Asia (WISA) does not truthfully reflect the results of a one-day Stakeholders’ Consultation Workshop on “Draft Water Allocation Policy for Loktak Lake” held in Imphal on January 17, 2012, the statement added.
It further added ALLAFUM appeals to all stakeholders, including the Union ministries of Environment and Forests, Fisheries, Rural Development and DoNER, and the local communities to verify the said report before any step is taken on the “pretext” of protecting and promoting the wellbeing of Loktak Lake by the LDA, Government of Manipur and Planning Commission of India.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ldas-plan-on-loktak-lake-opposed/

Mail News Service
Imphal, Sep 18 : The Directorate of Field Publicity, Senapati organised one day awareness Programme on Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) and Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) Scheme at Willong Khullen, Senapati District today. During the programme, FPO, Senapati explained that individual health and hygiene is largely dependent on sale
Household Latrine (IHHL) in every household of the villages of the country in general and of the village in particular. Financial incentives were also explained to thedirectness of transferring the basic entitlements to reach the intended beneficiaries discussed followed by an interaction session. Feedbacks were also collected fromTh. Kashing, Chairman of the village expressed that DFP plays an important such interior areas.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/awareness-campaign-at-senapati/

IMPHAL, Sep 18 NNN : Tension ran high in Ukhrul district headquarters today as the lifeless body of prominent tribal leader Jonathan Kashung was found and brought to the town this morning.
United Naga Council (UNC), All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) and Naga Women Union (NWU) have strongly condemned the murder of Jonathan Kashung.
Jonathan Kashung (49), one of the presidential candidates of Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), the apex body of the Tangkhul tribe, was abducted by unidentified armed men from Phungreitang area in Ukhrul town on September 13 at around 9:40 am apparently in connection with the TNL presidential election. Since then he was traceless.His decomposed body was found late yesterday evening at Tolloi Junction, around 4 km north-west of Ukhrul district headquarters. Early this morning, relatives of the deceased along with the police retrieved the decomposed body of Jonathan and brought to Ukhrul town.
Late in the morning tension became volatile as the people gathered at Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) office.
The TNL general election had to be postponed indefitely which was otherwise due today.Police sources said Jonathan Kashung was killed by suspected militants and did not mention the outfit’s name involved in the incident.No group has claimed so far for the killing.
Meanwhile, a condolence programme of Jonathan Kashung was organised in Ukhrul town participated by
Tangkhul Naga Long, TKS, TSL and public leaders including MLA Samuel Risom. His mortal remains will be taken to his native village Singkap in Phungyar subdivision tomorrow.
A case regarding the incident has been registered with the Ukhrul District Police Station and started investigation.
Jonathan Kashung was a dynamic tribal leader. He was the president of Tangkgul Katamnao Saklong, the apex Tangkhul students’ body. Jonathan was also one time the vice president of All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and then actively involved in All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM). He was one of the founding members of Movement for Tribal Peoples Rights, Manipur (MTPRM).

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/abducted-man-found-killed/

IMPHAL, Sep 18 NNN: The Manipur unit of CPI today claimed about a 120 metre-long wood fencing constructed by Myanmar army was found inside the controversial Holenphai village along Indo-Myanmar border line in Manipur’s Chandel district.
At the same time, the state CPI urged the state Government to convene an All-Party meeting at once to discuss on the contentious Indo-Myanmar Border Fencing. This comes after a team of the party members visited the border yesterday.
The team led by S Sotinkumar, secretary, Irawat Celebration Committee during the trip found erection of about a 120 metre-long wood fencing inside Holenphai village by Myanmar army, Dr M Nara, secretary, CPI Manipur State Council claimed while briefing the media at the Irawat Bhavan here.
Nara said it is never a right move of the state Government to remain mute after having confirmed that the neighbouring Myanmar has seized a large chunk of Manipur’s land on the border, calling upon the Government to immediately convene an All-Party meeting to discuss ways to find out a solution.
It has been learnt that the spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India has revealed to set up a joint working group to oversee the undemarcated border areas along the Indo-Myanmar international line, Nara said and suggested that a senior Government official from the state like RK Nimai, Commissioner, Art and Culture should be included in the proposed joint working group.
Sotinkumar said the 120 metre-long fencing in Holenphai was constructed by the Myanmar army overnight. The fencing had to pass through right in the middle a big house belongs to a Kuki family and the Myanmar army shot in the air to drive the family away to complete the fence construction, he cited one of the family members as saying.
The state CPI team also visited Moreh Ward No-3 inhabited by the Tamils and the Muslim dominated Ward No-5, he said, claiming that an area of about 100 metre of the Tamil temple was also found already ceded to Myanmar.
Sotinkumar said the CPI team was assisted by Moreh Meitei Council and Tamil Sangam during the visit.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/myanmar-army-fencing-inside-manipurs-territory-cpi/