Day: March 18, 2015

IMPHAL, March 18: Retd Principal of TG Higher Secondary School, RK Pramodini has been appointed as the new president of the BJP Mahila Morcha Manipur Pradesh and the BJP Mahila Morcha conducted a reception ceremony for her at its office of BJP Manipur Pradesh on today.

Delivering a speech Adhykarimayum Sarda Devi National, vice president BJP Mahila Morcha, said that since 20 years there were no such reception of Mahila Morcha president in Manipur.

She said that as the president of BJP Mahila Morcha, Pramodini has huge responsibilities on her shoulders. She has become the common mother and leader of society Sarda said, calling upon her to take a vital role in every State issue in the upcoming months.

There is no difference between educated and uneducated women in the field of politics, she said. As a family president, she should treat the entire party as under her leadership, Sarda further said.

RK Shivachandra, state spokesperson of BJP Manipur Pradesh said that women`™s role in the political party is very vital and therefore comes with huge responsibilities. In such a situation an academic personality like RK Pramodini is needed to strengthen the BJP Mahila Morcha, he added.

We hope that the women wing of BJP will confront the all state issues which normally come as the midsummer crisis, usually during June, July and August every year, he said. We are awaiting the practical women wing leader to show her mettle on every issue, said Shivachandra.

RK Pramodini the new president of the BJP Mahila Morcha said that in her entire career politics has always been with her, but as a government employee she could not come forward to shoulder political activities. But now that she is retired from her job, this opportunity to serve as the state as leader of BJP Mahil Morcha, is a privilege, she said.

She assured workers and volunteers of BJP Mahila Morcha that she will try to strengthen women participation in BJP, which she said was very week in past many years.

She said she will treat every Mahila Worker in the same manner with no bias. Her aim is to empower women and help them face and overcome domestic violence and other crimes against women and child during her tenure as president.

In the simple reception function, Sietabhama VP, O Malesh President BJYM, Yaima state secretary BJP Manipur Pradesh and RK Shivachandra state spokesperson BJP Manipur Pradesh were present on the dais.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/03/rk-pramodini-appointed-new-bjp-mahila-morcha-manipur-pradesh/

IMPHAL, March 18: Strongly protesting against the bomb blast at Khwairamband Keithel Temporary Shed on March 11, women vendors of the market have launched a relay hunger strike with various demands starting from today onwards.

Ksh Tama Devi, a protester, speaking to media persons said their demands are compensation for the deaths and injured in the blast, installation of street lamps at the Temporary Market Shed and surrounding areas, repair the CCTV cameras installed at the said market, change the parking at the Temporary Market Shed to some other proper place.

Their demands also include arrest of the culprits involved in planting and triggering the bomb at the earliest and to punish them according to the law.

She said on the following day of the bomb blast, women vendors of the market had staged a demonstration and submitted a memorandum mentioning a charter of demands to the Chief Minister.

However, besides the compensation for the deaths and injured, none of the other demands have been considered by the government, she said while adding that the strike will be continued until the remaining demands are met.

The women vendors of the market will take turns to continue the hunger strike non-stop, she added.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/03/women-vendors-launch-relay-hunger-strike-against-blast/

By Alex Guite

LAMKA, March 15: The implementation and working of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.(MGNREGA) at CCpur is found wanting in many ways, a survey by IFP revealed.

The MGNREGA came into being by an Act of the Parliament in 2005, and was met with much fanfare as the people were led to believe they would compulsorily get 100 day job guaranteed in one calendar year.

People in CCpur district are in no longer bothered and their high expectations from the scheme have withered away. They are aware wages under the scheme are said to have increased considerably, with the amount now standing at Rs 175 per day but too many hitches.

Many people are now alleging that it was a policy which has only encouraged men in position of authority, such as the village chiefs and village authorities, to misuse the facilities and bully their supposed beneficiaries.

Many job card holders, even widows, have expressed their opinion that they are for scrapping of the scheme altogether as they feel it does not served their needs or purposes anymore.

The survey on the other hand also showed many Chief had been deprived of reimbursement of the material costs of the policy implementation thereby it is the State Govt. which have now taken complete control of the scheme.

A widow Mrs. Kholi of Hiangtam Lamka said she was for the scrapping of the scheme or the Act which gave live to it for it now has nothing to offer beneficiaries like her for she does not get the full amount for all the days she has put in work. As a norm, all workers get only three day`™s wage, she said.

Another widow of the same place who had been counting on the Job Card money to keep her family hearth burning, said that from the three day wages money paid recently she pay for her one bag of charcoal and if the next one day wages money come she, said she will pay for the pan store`™s tobacco, where her dues are piling up.

Official, on condition of anonymity, said it was only a few years back when the district administration used to directly get the funds for MGNREGA but now it comes via the state exchequer, so it has become a different story.

The scheme is meant for non-skill manual work/labour, therefore attracts only the section of the population which is not articulate or empowered by knowledge of laws and rights, therefore easily exploited and cheated.

Many are also alleging that the DRDA takes a percent cut from the job card holders and so it is not a wonder that officials of the department live in luxury.

It may also be worth mentioning that the district got a mere 35 days under the scheme in 2013-14 and of this only 18 days worth have been paid up.

A resident of Sangaikot village confided that they are no longer aware of the scheme nor had they been working lately. Another villager of Hiangtam Lamka lamented that they are now given three day`™s wages only per person.

The villagers at Sangasikot Block as well as Saikot TD Block, Muallum etc like Seilien said they are getting the three day`™s wages, but resents that the chief chief had made the payment in such a way that the money was diverted as the electric fee of each household of the village and so the card holder had nothing to take home. Some had to pay more as their electric dues were higher.

It may re recall that the MGNREGA was an act that was meant to directly benefit the villagers and poor people of India, which was more like social security in western countries where the jobless are given protection by their governments. Here with rampant diversions of the money in the name of electric fee happen in most villages starting from the Khuga valley to all the TD Blocks of Lamka town proper, as the people are unaware that this was a gross violation of the Act and its spirit, many charged.

Some chiefs say that they are cutting money from the village after handing the money in their hand, which is but technically okay but had been a violation in itself as the money was then again taken over which was also refuted by villagers who tells that they are told of the news but were also told of the diversion as electric fee and no cash to them . but not to say the delivery of the money to the holder many chief are diverting the money saying it was use to buy transformer that was still `yet to come`™.

Let alone the villagers complain and plight , the chiefs or Village authority (VA)are also lamenting that they are always played saying that the proposer they put up for work are changed at will by the officials.Another one official of DRDA, , on condition of anonymity ,tells IFP that the reason of changing this work proposal was due to the clumsiness or rather laziness of the BDO and their staff who had been too lazy or unconcerned to include the new proposal but copy and paste the last proposal or the one that suited them.

A villager and village authority of Saikot TB Block said that they were allotted saplings for plantation when it was no time for plantation like in the month of November and were also allotted a road construction earthen work during the raining season etc.

Many chief are also taking the excuse of the UG`™s taking a cut from the MGNREGA money therefore necessitating the cut to almost half of the amount for beneficiaries. Many UG groups of CCpur are now under SoO with the government and would not be doing this, others observed, adding that some chief are using this as an excuse for cheating the villagers in the name of UGs, they told the IFP.

In this regard, mention may be made of the ZRO president who told the media that it was the chief who manipulate the money, as they had the power to drive the villagers out from their village in case of opposition to their diktat.

He further said `unless s chieftainship structure was amended the people cannot enjoy the benefits of belonging to Independent India .

This was echoed by W.Joykumer Singh, the Dy. Ombudsmen, Imphal East on MGNREGA when he said all single job card holder had the right to demand 100 day`™s wages if they are willing to work but were afraid of their chiefs and so out of ignorant and fear they don`™t dare to demand the `guaranteed 100 days wages.

Taking to IFP the chief of Hiangtam Lamka Thangkhosuanmung Guite said that the wages sanctioned was a shame but he and his village authority members are helpless and can do nothing as it was the directive of the government.

He further said that the govt can do batter to redress the sufferings of the common people by releasing more money. `The need of the hour is to do collective work and consultation by job card holder, chiefs and the departments concerned, without blaming each other“ added another village authority.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/03/ccpur-villagers-get-only-three-days-wages-while-chiefs-get-the-rest-in-mgnrega/

IMPHAL, March 18: The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System is gaining support from various organizations, civil bodies, political parties etc in their further course of actions going to take up to pressurize the State Government to implement Inner Line Permit System or a similar regulation to safeguard the indigenous population of the State.

With two political parties announcing their support to JCILPS yesterday many more are also declaring their support to JCILPS.

All Manipur Students`™ Guardian Organisation secretary S Sumati, speaking at a press meet held today at Palace Compound said the Chief Minister is standing against the wishes of the people instead of showing his concern about the sentiment of the people here.

She said their organization will support and co-operate with the Joint Committee Inner Line Permit System (JCIPLS) in the further course of action taken up by them.

Meanwhile, president of Singjamei Apunba Nupi Lup, Khetrimayum Ebemnu, during a press meet held at the Head Office of SANL at Singjamei Thongam Leikai this afternoon, said that many years have pass that the people of the State is demanding the implementation of Inner Line Permit System in the State.

However, the reaction of the government is disheartening, she added.

She said Singjamei Apungba Nupi Lup lauded the five MLAs for leaving the House during the last Assembly session.

Khetrimayum Ebemnu said that they will continue to support JCILPS in the further course of action.

Meanwhile, United Committee Manipur (UCM) has in a separate press release extended support to JCILPS in their further course of action while condemning the government move regarding the issue of ILPS.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/03/more-support-for-jcilps-in-their-further-course-of-action/