State police able to keep law and order situation under control, says Governor

IMPHAL, February 25: `Manipur police has been able to keep the law and order situation under control and maintain public order despite working in an extremely sensitive security environment`, said Dr Krishan Kant Paul, Governor of Manipur, addressing the house on the first day of the 10th session of the tenth Manipur Legislative Assembly.

Further, the Governor conveyed his sincere greetings and best wishes to the people of Manipur for a peaceful, prosperous and productive year.

He further said that the Government has been striving for all round development and delivery of Good Governance for the welfare of the people. Equitable and inclusive development with secular ideals have been the guiding values of the Government and conveyed that the Government has pursued developmental works for the people residing the hill and valleys areas in a sustainable way.

Elaborating on various achievement of the Government during the recent years, he said that the state`™s finance is stabilizing slowly after a period of acute resource constraints, before attributed it to the prudent management of available resources and persistence effort to raise additional resource by the Government.

In the context of law and order situation, the Governor said that Manipur police has been able to keep the law and order situation under control and maintain public order despite working in an extremely sensitive security environment.

He said that the Government has been able to achieve commendable results on the counter-insurgency front confronting various problems, which are both convoluted and serious in nature, compounded by shortage of man-power, infrastructural and other logistic constraints.

Manipur police, with the help of the army/CPMF/AR, has been able to restrain and curb the activities of the UGs to a large extent, he said adding that the activities of the UGs in the valley area have been checked to a great extent due to the intensive counter-insurgency operations.

Similarly, in the hill districts, the area domination by Security Forces and Police compelled the UG elements, especially the valley based outfits, to seek refuge in the neighbouring countries like Mynmar, Bangladesh etc, apart from taking shelter in other State of the country, it said.

There has been qualitative improvement in the security environment of the State, especially in the valley area due to the well-directed counter-insurgency measures which ensured effective tackling of the various threats, he continued.

Dr KK Paul, divulged that on realising that effective counter insurgency operations alone cannot solve the problem of insurgency and militancy in the State, the Government, on many occasions had invited various UG groups operating in the state to come forward for negotiation.

He spelled out that during the year 2014 initiatives of the Government of India and Government of Manipur were able to bring many valley base UG groups to the mainstream.

Presenting the latest achievement in this regards, the Dr KK Paul, said that on December 15, 2014, 58 cadres and leaders of three different UG groups including former chairman of PREPAK, A Nabachandra and former Finance secretary, PREPAK Chinglen Meitei, 37 cadres of KCP (KK Nganba group) including Chairman Chongtham Manglemjao along with 37 assorted weapons and ammunition and 19 cadres of KCP Nongdrekhomba along with assorted weapons and ammunition and four hand grenades laid down arms to join the mainstream in a home coming ceremony.

On the other hand, the suspension of operation with the KNO (Kuki National Organisation) and UPF (United Peoples Front) since August 2008 was extended upto August 21, 2014. With the KNLF (Kuki National Liberation Front) and PRA (Pakan Revolutionary Army) which signed a tripartite agreement on March 23, 2013, under the SoO a total of 2,098 SoO cadres are accommodated at 13 thirteen Designated camps spread over three hill districts of Churachandpur, Chandel and Senapati, he said.

The Governor of Manipur also said that a total of 98 cadres of different UG groups surrendered at individual levels to the state and the central forces during the year 2014 under the Surrender Scheme of MHA adding that they are in the process of rehabilitation with assistance of the MHA, the Army and the Assam Rifles.

Moreover, he divulged that suggestions have been made to the Union Government for consideration of absorbing the former militants in the CPOs by relaxing the recruitment norms.

Reflecting on the finance sections, Dr KK Paul, said that the state in the last few years witnessed a great change in development of several infrastructures. In the current year, the state has a tentative plan size of Rs. 3200 crore which includes Rs 450 crore under SPA and Rs 800 crore under SCA.

A total amount of Rs 259.31 crores has been provided in the year, 2014-15 under tribal affairs and hills for implementation of various developmental schemes, for assisting 3497 numbers of ST and 200 numbers of SC families under various income generation programmes.

The Government is gearing up to implement the National Food Security Act, 2013 under which a total of 24.84 lakhs beneficiaries i.e 87 percent of the total population as per 2011 census in Manipur will be covered by Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), he said.

In education sector, the Government continues to give thrust to school education by providing access to affordable quality school education to all children of school going age group of the state, he said adding that in order to achieve this broad objective, several initiatives during the current financial year, in addition and in continuation of the initiatives of preceding years were taken up.

Observing the widening gap between demand and availability in the power sector, the Governor said that to do away with the problems the Government has taken various initiative in every level.

He said that the Government has taken part in the North east transmission company (NETC) with 6 percent share in the construction of 400 KVD/C Palllatana-Silchar-Bongaigaon trunk transmission line for evacuation of power from the (a) 2×363.3 MW Palatana Gas Power Project (PGPP) and (b) 3×250 MW Bongaigaon Thermal Power Project (BTPP).

The Power Grid Corporation of India has taken up construction of 400 KV Double Circuit line from Silchar to Imphal initially charged at 132 KV system voltage and it is expected to be commissioned in March 2015.

Further, Manipur has participated in the ambitious scheme of `North Eastern Regional Power System Improvement Project` for strengthening intra-state transmission and distribution network 33 KV level with 50:50 funding from the World Bank and Government of India.

He elaborated that the project is being implemented under three Tranches and Trance-I Loan Appraisal with the World Bank is under process and added that the Tranche-I cost in respect of Manipur is estimated at Rs 404.17 crores at October 2013 price level.

He continued that to tap hydro potential of the state and a hydro power policy, for new hydro projects including Irang Hydro Project (60MW) in Tamenglong, Tuivai Hydro Project (51 MW) in Churachandpur, Pabram Hydro Project (190 MW) in Tamenglong, Kongnem Chaka Hydro Project (67 MW) in Senapati districts have been allotted to NEEPCO Limited for survey and investigation and formulation of the DPRs.

Dr KK Paul, has also maintained that the unbundling of the erstwhile electricity department has made an impact by increasing efficiency through corporate culture and competiveness and slowly reducing the Aggregate Transmission and Commercial (AT&C) losses in the state.

After the conclusion of the Governor`™s address an obituary reference motion on the demise of former secretary of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, Thokchom Chourajit, was also held.

Further, the Chief Minister also presented the Twelfth Report of the Business Advisory Committee, 2015, a budget estimates of the Government of Manipur for the year 2015-16, vote on account to enable the Government discharge its responsibilities and to meet all essential expenditure during the first four month of the fiscal year 2015-16 and demand for Excess Grants for the years 2010-11 and 2-11-12.