Manipur News – Page 14515 – www.manipur.org/news

Enraged locals to block Tongjei Maril from Dec 8

In a protest against the alleged ‘deliberate deaf and dumb’ nature of the State Government towards development of Tongjei Maril road, also known as Old Chachar Road NH 150 A enraged villagers residing alongside the 100 km long road stretch have served an ultimatum giving December 8 as the deadline for development of the historic road Source Hueiyen News Service

Read more / Original news source: http://e-pao.net/ge.asp?heading=15&src=291112

A doll being displayed at one of the stalls of Tourism festival

Bamboo bicycle

Bambike, a cycle was designed by Bijoy Kumar from Bangalore. Both Govindas Konthoujam, Commerce & Industries Minister and M Prithviraj, MLA took a brief joy-ride on the bicycle as the chief guest and the guest of honour respectively .
Prithviraj said that such cycle through the state’s bamboo can help improve people’s economy and act as precursor to positive health as cycling improves health. Kamesh Salam, Executive Director of South East Asia Bamboo Association said that utilizing bamboo not only improve people’s economy.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/bamboo-bicycle/

Bamboo bicycle

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AR participates in Sangai festival

MNS: 28 Assam Rifles of 9 Sector under aegis of HQ IGAR(S) established an Assam Rifles Pavilion in the ongoing Sangai Festival.Assam Rifles pavilion has been established to showcase the history and contribution of Assam Rifles in Manipur. In the pavilion guidelines are given for how to join Assam Rifles/Army and Pamphlets were also distributed giving out details of how to join Assam Rifles/ Army to the visitors. The Assam Rifles pavilion has been a huge crowd puller and has especially attracted the younger generation. Daily approximately 500 people are visiting the Assam Rifles Pavilion and this shows that the people of Manipur want peace and tranquility in this state. The number of people visiting the Assam Rifles Pavilion and their efforts to know about Assam Rifles is the befitting example of close interaction with the Youth and Security Forces. Each and everybody who visited the Pavilion appreciated the works done by Assam Rifles in Manipur.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ar-participates-in-sangai-festival-2/

AR participates in Sangai festival

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ar-participates-in-sangai-festival-2/

AR condemns bomb blast

MNS: Assam Rifles has vehemently denied the opinion expressed in some newspapers that the blast which occured in Khurai Chairen Thongkhong along Imphal Ukhrul road, resulting in injury to one civilian was because of the bomb being accidently dropped from the Assam Rifles vehicles. Reacting vehemently to the opinions expressed, the PRO HQ IGAR (South) said that such an opinion is totally absurd and possibly the result of a perverse imagination motivated by anti national elements. T
he blast was triggered by either a grenade or explosive placed by the terrorists on crowded stretch of road where civilians were present when the Assam Rifles convoy was passing by.
Recent acts have mostly targeted innocent civilians without any humanitarian consideration for local populace. Assam Rifles have always remained the ‘FRIENDS OF MANIPUR’ people and condemn all such incidents of violence perpetrated by anti national elements.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ar-condemns-bomb-blast/

AR condemns bomb blast

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Panchayat members on MGNREGS

IMPHAL, Nov 28 NNN: The Manipur State Panchayat Parishad (MSPP) has strongly objected to the move of the state government to omit the pradhans and members of Zilla Parishad from operating the joint-account of MGNREGS, terming it as centralization of power in the hands of the state government and undermining the importance of representatives of the people at grass root level.
According to an order on November 5 by Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, the pradhans and members of Zilla Parishad are no longer required in the operation of joint-account of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
This is in stark contrast to the NREGS operational guidelines by the central government which makes the Pradhan and the Secretary of the Gram Panchayat to be joint operators of the NREGS account.
In a press meet this afternoon at Manipur Panchayat Bhawan, Porompat, Thokchom Bhubol Singh, Secretary of Manipur State Panchayat Parishad (MSPP) said that the new order will not be able to avail 100 days of works to the people as the power of the Panchayat Parishad has been diluted.
The pradhans and members of Zilla Parishad being the direct representatives of the people in the grass-root level, they alone can guarantee success and implementation of the scheme, he said.
In this regard, a memorandum has already been submitted to chief minister O Ibobi Singh, said Bhubol Singh adding that they would oppose the government’s move until it relents to their demand and urged the government to maintain the status quo.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/panchayat-members-on-mgnregs/

Panchayat members on MGNREGS

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Cash movement from Imphal to Moreh

IMPHAL, Nov 28 UNA : A special vigil has been made on carrying huge amount of money from Imphal to Moreh by passengers and travel agencies following arrest of two persons who were allegedly engaged in the sending of extorted money from Imphal to Moreh,.
An official source Wednesday said that two activists of different underground outfits who were engaged in sending and delivering huge amount of money in cash to leaders of the underground outfits were arrested by state police commandos recently from Imphal area.
One of the two was a rifleman of the Manipur Rifles and arrested by police commandos on the alleged charge of being an activist of PREPAK while he was about to sent an amount of Rs five lakh to a commander of the outfit under whom he was working and staying in Myanmar.
The source said that Nameirakpam Hemen Meitei (45) of Bashikhong Mamang Leikai was arrested by a team of police commandos attached with Imphal West district from Thangal Bazar on November 24 last and handed over to the City police with Rs five lakh seized from his possession.
Hemen is a personnel of E-coy of 8th Manipur Rifles under rifleman number 1194268 and currently posting at Leikhun of Chandel district. During spot verification, Hemen reportedly admitted that he works under one Babu of PREPAK outfit currently staying in Myanmar and he was sending the amount to someone at Moreh for onward handing over to Babu.
He further disclosed that the amount he was possession was extorted from different government department like sericulture, CAW, MANIDCO, businessmen and government employees as party fund. After producing him in the court of Imphal West district magistrate, he has been remanded to judicial custody.
Another person allegedly engaged in delivering money to RPF/PLA leaders in Moreh town has also been picked by the police commandos from his own house at Imphal’s Thonju part-II on November 25 last by a team of Imphal West commandos.
He was identified as Thongam Debendra Singh alias Tayaima (53) of Thongju part-II from his residence on November 25. He was alleged of being engaged in collecting and sending money extorted by PLA activists from various government departments, individuals and government employees.
He used to send the money to one Self Styled Major Bikon working in the finance section of the outfit. He had recently sent Rs 2,85,000 and Rs 2,50,000 to Bikon after one PLA cadre identified as Naton handed over to him. Before this he had visited Moreh and handed over Rs 9 lakh to Bikon, police alleged.
However, RPF denied that Debendra is an activist of the outfit in a statement dispatched to media houses in Imphal yesterday which stated, Debendra had no link with the outfit in any way.
Police has intensified its vigil on the sending of money in cash.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/cash-movement-from-imphal-to-moreh/

Faulty question paper during TET exam

IMPHAL, Nov 28 NNN : The Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) on Wednesday said the students’ body has discovered incorrect questions in the Mathematics subject of Teacher’s Eligibility Test (TET) exam 2012 conducted by Board of Secondary Education, Manipur (BOSEM) yesterday.
Two questions carrying one mark each from Mathematics subject of paper-I for TET exam were found incorrect, DESAM assistant general secretary, P Premchandra told a press conference at the alliance’s office here and demanded the state Government that the two marks of the two wrong questions be given as grace marks to the candidates.
He also urged the Government to set up an expert committee at the earliest to investigate into the matter and bar all the question setters involved in the slackness from further setting of questions for any competitive exam in future.
Question numbers 67 and 74 of the question booklet series code-A of Mathematics were not matching with any of the option answers, Premchandra said. However, different question booklet series codes were provided to the candidates but the serial number of the questions were listed in different ways.
More information on finding out of more wrong questions are receiving and the alliance will look into them, the DESAM assistant general secretary further said.
Tuesday’s TET exam was conducted in two papers—paper-I for recruiting Lower Primary teachers and paper-II for Upper Primary teachers, both carry 150 marks each. The two papers include Mathematics, General English, Environmental Studies, Language, Child Development and Pedagogy.
Altogether 59,911 candidates appeared at the TET exam held in Imphal spread across 204 exam centres.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/faulty-question-paper-during-tet-exam/

Address tribal issues : ATSUM

IMPHAL, Nov 28 NNN : The newly revived All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM) has apprised the government of Manipur to address issues pertaining to tribal people of Manipur and the hill districts.
The apex tribal students’ body of Manipur in its lengthy memorandum submitted to the chief minister of Manipur yesterday has demanded Manipur State Commission for the Scheduled Tribes. ATSUM also demanded for the setting up of B.Ed centres in the hill districts. It also demanded that adequate teaching and non-teaching staff in the education institutions in the hill districts with better infrastructure.
Signed by its president Maun Tombing and its general secretary Vareiyo Shatsang, ATSUM in its memorandum said, “It has been our long standing aspiration to find a State Commission of
the Scheduled Tribes in Manipur under the Article 338A of the Indian Constitution which would usher in all round Development and progress in respect of thee Tribal people in this eastern most part of the Indian Union. The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes which came in to force on 19th February, 2004 has failed to provide adequate service to the state of Manipur a it is based on the distant centre in Shillong”.
According to the ATSUM memorandum, the state of Karnataka in 2002 had established the State Commission for SC/ST under the name and style ‘The Karnataka State Commission for Scheduled Tribes Act, 2002’. It said the tribal population is the second largest in the state of Manipur but the pace of development is rather too slow till today comparing to that of the non-tribal populace. There has been the Manipur state Commission for OBC which meant to safeguard the rights of the other backward classes, the ATSUM representation added.
In the light of the above facts and circumstances, it is our earnest plea that the Manipur State Commission for the ST be set up in the earnest date, the tribal students’ body stated.
ATSUM then demanded for the setting up of B.Ed centres in hill districts of Manipur.
“Even the HSLC examination centres are very often treated as temporary arrangement subject to omission and commission. It is demanded that B.Ed centres be set up in all the five hill districts where TET can be conducted,” the tribal students’ body demanded.
The memorandum of ATSUM also mentioned that the crisis in the newly set up Indra Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) Regional Compus in Manipur is put to a situation of breaking down totally because all the required infrastructures and issues have not been properly attended to by the authorities concerned. “There is no end to the students’ agitations against many lapses in the University. Xerox copy of the MoU signed between students and the vice chancellor is enclosed herewith for kind perusal. It is our earnest plea for your urgent intervention before things turn from bad to worse,” ATSUM note cautions.
One point of the ATSUM memorandum said, “We demand adequate number of both teaching and non-teaching staff in the educational institutions in the hill areas of Manipur state. We also demand that proper infrastructures for the educational institutions in the five hill districts be provided promptly as to facilitate smooth functioning.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/address-tribal-issues-atsum/

Banian’s critically acclaimed Kumudini to be staged in national theatre festival

Imphal, November 28 : Banian Repertory Theatre’s critically acclaimed Manipuri play- Kumudini is among 19 plays selected for the 29th Nandikar National Theatre Festival to be held from December 16 to 25 this year at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata. During this 2012 edition, the Nandikar will pay tributes to Mohit Chattopadhyay and Sunil Gangopadhyay; and a seminar on Theatre and Integration will also be held.
The Nandikar will issue passes to be available from the Academy ticket counter between 1pm and 7pm from December 9. The available denominations are Rs. 40, Rs. 60 and Rs. 90.
The annual Nandikar National Theatre Festival is the biggest theatre carnival of Kolkata and one of the largest in the country as well. The festival provides a platform for the stalwarts and amateurs alike for not just participants from all over India, but also from the international arena.
Manipuri play- Kumudini directed by M. C. Thoiba and scripted by Dr. M.C.Arun introduces an individual Manipuri woman in the socio-political sphere as voluntary actor.
Maharani Kumudini is the wife of Maharaja Gambhir Singh, who liberated Manipur from Burmese occupation during the Chahi Taret Khuntakpa (The Seven Years Devastation). Maharaja Gambhir Singh died, when his eldest son Chandrakirti was only two. Kumudini found herself in the middle of palace intrigues and attempts by Gambhir
Singh’s brothers and relatives to wrest the throne. She ultimately succeeded in installing her son to the throne, but it was no mean feat for a woman.
Much has been discussed about Manipuri woman. Some have put them on a pedestal. Others say, women are exploited in our society. It is a confusing scenario. The play revolves round a contemporary radical who seeks answers on different facets of contemporary Manipuri woman and her position in the socio-political sphere, in the backdrop of the life and times of Maharani Kumudini.
The play explores the collective and individual womanhood, her desperation and dreams, woman’s space in kinship and political position, power and the patriarchal cultural order in Manipuri society.
Kumudini will be staged on December 23 at 6.30 pm. Kumudini produced in 2007 was recently performed at Hyderabad and Tirupati in the 7th Abhinaya National Theatre Festival 2012in the month of August. A theatre critic- Gudipoodi Srihari in the HINDU in its edition dated 23rd August 2012 wrote, “The four-day-long All India Theatre festival held by Abhinaya was an eye-opener revealing how other language plays are designed to win audience with commitment in choosing themes and coming out with forceful productions. Here was another excellent production by a Manipuri team of artistes, titled ‘Kumudini’, staged at Ravindra Bharati. It was the last play of the festival.
Despite the inability to understand their language, the audience was totally immersed, following thematic substance.
The subjects they choose were quite novel and experimental too. M.C. Thoiba who was actively involved in theatre movement handled this production with utmost care. Crowd scenes, rebellions were well handled”.
The plays selected for this year’s festival are Sukhmani Kohli’s Romeo Juliet and Seven Clowns, Saurabh Nayyar & Nitin Bhardwaj’s Ram Sajeevan Ki Prem Katha, Supriyo Chakraborty’s Hridmajhaare, Vinay Sharma’s Atmakatha, Choiti Ghosh’s A Bird’s Eye View, Suman Mukhopadhyay’s Shunyo Shudhu Shunyo Noy, Anurupa Roy’s Across
the Sea, Ranjit Kapoor’s Chekov Ki Duniya and Adamzaad and Panchlight, Nasir Uddin Yusuf’s The Tempest, Anup Hazarika’s Charandas Chor, Dr Tapanjyoti Das’s Tathagata, Subodh Pattanaik’s Biplabi Bihanga, M C Thoiba’s Kumudini, Baharul Islam’s The Green Serpent, Debabrata Maity’s Lakkoner Shoktishel, Swatilekha Sengupta’s Tushaarmalaar Deshe, Debsankar Halder’s Anto-Aadi-Anto and Swatilekha Sengupta’s Madhabi.Anup Hazarika’s Charandas Chor and Baharul Islam’s The Green Serpent are two Assamese plays from Assam to take part in the festival.

Financial Inclusion to Bring Every Household in Banking Ambit

Ravinder Singh, Director (M&C), PIB, New Delhi, (PIB Features.)
Financial Inclusion is meant to extend financial services to the large hitherto un-served population of the country to unlock its growth potential. In addition, it strives towards a more inclusive growth by making financing available to the poor in particular. The Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech this year had announced that “it will be our endeavour to ensure that all households benefit from bank accounts in the next 2 years”. Keeping in view the banking facilities being extended under “Swabhimaan” and the campaign launched that every household has at least one bank account, it is expected to achieve the target by August, 2014.
Bank Branch Network
There are 93,659 branches of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) functioning in the country as on 31st March, 2012, out of which 34,671(37.02%) branches are in rural areas, 24,133(25.77%) are in semi-urban areas, 18,056(19.28%) in urban areas and 16,799(17.93%) are in metropolitan area.
Opening of Bank Branches
In view of the continued need for opening of branches in rural areas for increasing banking penetration and financial inclusion, the Government had issued detailed strategy and guidelines on financial inclusion in October 2011, advising banks to open branches in all habitations of 5,000 or more population in under-banked districts and 10,000 or more population in other districts. By end of June 2012, 1,237 branches (including Ultra Small Branches) have been opened in these areas.
Branch Expansion Plan of RRBs
With a view to make Financial Inclusion Plan effective and expand the outreach of banking services in unbanked/under banked rural areas, the RRBs were required to work out branch expansion plan for 2011-12 and 2012-13 with 10% increase over previous year. The RRBs had fixed targets of 1247 branches to be opened during 2011-12. RRBs opened 913 branches against this target. This was short of target but was a sharp increase compared to 521branches opened during 2010-11 and 299 in 2009-10. For 2012-13, a target of 1845 new branches has been fixed.
Policy For Opening RRB Branches Liberalised
Reserve Bank of India vide its circular dated 1st August, 2012 has liberalised the Branch Licensing policy of RRBs and has allowed RRBs to open branches in Tier 2 to, 6 centres (with population up to 99,999 as per Census 2001) without the need to take permission from the Reserve Bank in each case, subject to reporting, provided they fulfil the certain conditions. RRBs not fulfilling the conditions will have to continue to approach RBI / NABARD, as hitherto. Opening of branches by RRBs in Tier 1 centres (centres with population of 100,000 and above as per Census 2001) will also continue to require prior permission of Reserve Bank of India.
“Swabhimaan” – The Financial Inclusion Campaign
In order to further extend the reach of banking to the rural hinterland, banks were advised to provide appropriate banking facilities to habitations having population in excess of 2000 by March, 2012 using various models and technologies including branchless banking through Business Correspondent Agents (BCAs). This Financial Inclusion Campaign named “Swabhimaan” was formally launched by the Government in February, 2011. Banking facilities to 74,194 such villages have been provided and about 3.16 crore financial accounts have been opened under this Campaign by end of March, 2012. Further, in terms of Finance Minister’s Budget Speech 2012-13 it has been decided to extend the “Swabhimaan” campaign to habitations with population of more than 1000 in North Eastern and hilly States and to other habitations which have crossed population of 2,000 as per census 2011. Accordingly about 45,000 such habitations have been identified to be covered under the extended “Swabhimaan” campaign.
Establishment of Ultra Small Branches
Considering the need for close supervision and mentoring of the business correspondent agents by the respective banks and to ensure that a range of banking services are available to the residents of such villages, it has been decided that Ultra Small Branches(USBs) be set up in all villages covered through BCAs. These USBs would comprise of a small area of 100-200 sq. feet where the officer designated by the bank would be available with a lap-top on pre-determined days. While the cash services would be offered by the BCAs, the bank officer would offer other services, undertake field verification and follow up the banking transactions. The periodicity and duration of visits can be progressively enhanced depending upon business potential in the area.
Banking Facilities in Unbanked Blocks
With a view to provide banking facilities in unbanked blocks, the Government in July, 2009 identified 129 unbanked blocks, of which 91 blocks were in North East States and 38 in other States. With the persistent efforts of the Government, the number of unbanked blocks were brought down to 71 as on 31.3.2011, and by March 2012, banking facilities have been provided in all the unbanked blocks either through Brick and Mortar Branches or Business Correspondents Model or mobile banking, etc.
Opening of One Bank Account Per Family
In order to ensure electronic transfer of cash subsidies directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries under the various Schemes of the Central Government and State Governments, it is important that the beneficiaries have an account in the service area bank. Accordingly, banks have been advised that the service area bank in rural areas and banks assigned the responsibility in specific wards in urban area ensure that every household has at least one bank account.
Advisory Committee
The Reserve Bank has constituted a high level Financial Inclusion Advisory Committee (FIAC) to spearhead the efforts toward greater financial conclusion. The collective expertise and experience of the members of the committee is expected to explore issues, such as developing viable and sustainable banking services delivery models focusing on accessible and affordable financial services, developing products and processes for rural as well as urban consumers presently outside the banking network and suggest appropriate regulatory framework to ensure that financial inclusion and financial stability move in tandem. The Committee is to be chaired by Dr. K.C. Chakrabarty, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India and will comprise eleven members, from banking and finance sector, including Shri D.K. Mittal, Secretary Department of Financial services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
The Committee, if necessary, would call other market players like corporate business correspondents, technology vendors etc., as special invitees to the meetings. Since the financial inclusion model selected in India is primarily bank-led, the Financial Inclusion Advisory Committee may also invite the chairperson managing directors of banks to each of its meetings to gather the perspective of banks.
There has been a significant, albeit slow, progress towards greater financial inclusion. However, ensuring accessible and affordable financial services in all the 6 lakh villages in India is a herculean task and given the enormity of the task, a lot of ground still needs to be covered. This calls for a partnership of all the stakeholders-the Reserve Bank, other sectoral regulators like the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development; banks; governments; civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) etc.

It is disgracing

When the former US President George Bush was attacked by a scribe by hurling his shoe, the former just laughed out and quipped it was no 9. Likewise the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who is no more was attacked by a Sri Lankan guard, who butted him with his rifle. Rajiv Gandhi just ducked his head and moved away gracefully. Then father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi was beaten severely by British soldiers, when he was in South Africa. But he was unrelenting and he did what he wanted to do. Cowards are those, who use physical power to cow down the rivals. If you have taken up politics as a profession what is expected of you is to show perseverance in the face of provocation. If you have short temper you have no future in politics. There should be room for courtesy in politics. Even in the contact game, where a player is expected to box the rival with as much force as he can one cannot not go against the principle and rule of the particular game. If you defy the rule you will be ousted from the ring no matter how dexterous player or boxer you are. Politics is also a game but here in this game the rules can be stretched to some extent but not beyond the limit. When Abdul Nasir Agriculture Minister assaulted a Congress worker at the Sangai Festival site, where large number visitors thronged, he had crossed the limit. A Minister like him who was well protected with security personnel all around him could think of fighting like a street fighter. That is a shame. What provoked him to reduce to that role fit for street fighter will be interesting to know. Because the victim was not his equal? The victim was really confused and he could not grasp why he was at the receiving end. As the incident happened at a public place everyone desires to know why it happened. If Nasir himself refuses to speak out the Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, who also holds Home portfolio must throw light why it happened? Did the victim show disrespect to the Minister by turning back, when he visited the stall? Or did he murmur something, which was misconstrued by the Minister as a verbal attack on him. Or does the Minister consider him as a future rival. Speculations will be galore until the matter is put to rest. Now the opposition parties have openly demanded removal of Nasir from the council of Ministers. Congress Government in Manipur has had the first casualty. In the last term too many elected MLAs expired. In this term too many incidents of this nature may occur. Morning has shown the day. Senior leaders of the party having seen the crime might have felt the need for conducting orientation courses for these young Ministers and MLAs. These young legislators need to be told that they are too powerful even without security personnel and perhaps addition of security personnel to their status have put them in different world. But howsoever high they may be the law is above them. Nasir episode cannot be let go easily without being investigated. Such type of news is shameful. It drags down image of the state. Let it not happen again.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/it-is-disgracing/

Dolls sold at Sangai Tourism festival 2012

Dolls sold at Sangai Tourism festival 2012

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/dolls-sold-at-sangai-tourism-festival-2012/

KYU thanks

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KANGPOKPI, Nov 28: The Kangpokpi Youth Union has expressed its heartfelt gratitude to Major Marathe, CO 14 Asssam Rifles Kangpokpi Post for sponsoring 2 passenger buses for TET candidates of Kangpokpi areas yesterday. Secretary Kangpokpi Youth Union, Lien Kipgen said, … Continue reading →

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KYU thanks

The post KYU thanks appeared first on KanglaOnline.com.