Manipur News

IMPHAL, April 12: As part of the demand for immediate implementation of 200 point roster of Manipur Reservation of vacancies in posts and services for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes in respect of engaging daily wage earners in JNIMS, ATSUM drew the attention to JNIMS authority through a memorandum yesterday.

According to a press release of ATSUM said the organisation while applauding the unceasing and tireless effort to have JNIMS recognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI) for starting an MBBS degree course, it was constrained to draw the attention of the authorities for immediate and prompt action pertaining to the engagement of daily wage earners.

It pointed out that with the objective of obtaining recognition from the Medical Council of India (MCI), JNIMS had engaged around 455 daily wage earners in various departments during the last 4 to 5 years to meet the requisite numbers of staff. However, no proper reservation norms were followed in these appointments, it said.

This enormous error of the JNIMS authority had deprived the Scheduled Tribe and other minor communities from availing their rights of reservation, it said.

The memorandum reflected that the Government of Manipur in its cabinet meeting dated May 12 decided to adopt all the daily wage earners as contract staff, which in fact, is a light of hope for all the stakeholders (daily wage earners). However, with the total absence of formal reservation policy at a time of engagement, blunt adoption of wage earners as contract staff will mean nothing but add more salt to the wounds of the tribal people and other minor communities of the state, the release said.

The ATSUM release said it requested the JNIMS to immediately implement 200 point roster of Manipur Reservation of vacancies in posts and services for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes in JNIMS in respect of the engaged daily wage earners before the adoption of daily wages earners as contract staff is materialised.

It warned that failing this the ATSUM would be compelled to resort to agitation.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/04/atsum-wants-reservation-norms-kept-in-jnims-engagement-of-daily-wage-earners/

IMPHAL, 12 April: `Save animals campaigns are conducted at Imphal` ridiculed A Sangneiram of Sorde Village under Phungyar Sub Division of Ukhrul District. He said such campaigns together with others like `save forest`™, `save animal`™ should be carried out in the villages located adjacent to jungles.

He also said that villagers living in the remote areas are solely dependent of jhum cultivation as basic amenities are not sufficiently available for survival. He said that PDS and TD supplies do not reach the beneficiaries. He also charged that benefits of the government programmes for remote areas are distributed at the state Capital.

A media team led by Information Centres for Hill Areas Manipur (ICHAM) visited villages under Phungyar Sub Division of Ukhrul District on April 10 and 11, on the occasion of the first observation of the 28th foundation day of Kham-Lungpha Fraternal Organisation (KLFO) at Khambi village.

President ICHAM N Rajendro (Boi) as guest of honour of the foundation day function said that government facilities reserved for the villagers living in the remote area of the state are handled questionably. He said that to bridge the gulf between villagers from remote areas and the government is the motto of the ICHAM. He further elaborated that members of ICHAM will always work for the welfare of the people living in the hill areas of the state.

The foundation day function was also attended by KLFO president, A Amo Samuel, chairman Lungpha Long A Masanang, ICHAM general secretary SP Ngachonmi Ramshang as Chief Guest, president and guest of honour.

After the function ICHAM toured remote villages of the area to witness the ground reality of life in the villages. The last village to be located was Nongman Village, about 15 Km from Phungyar Sub Division and about 34 Km from Sangshak. A small population of about 500 villagers lived there.

The approach road to the village was a tough drive as its condition was deplorable. On the way to the village, the team witnessed the construction of new HT electric line.

During the sharing with the villagers, it was learnt that the labour for the new HT line construction was provided by the villagers of Nongman and surrounding villages. They were supervised by a staff of state electricity department but the villagers are not paid for their labour yet.

Demand for proper medical facility, PDS items, TD facilities, school staffs were the common voices of the villagers of Nongman, Kumram, Patbung, Sorde villages.

Same voices can be heard echoing from other surrounding villages said ICHAM president Boi. He said that majority of the government supplies and facilities meant for the villagers living at the remote areas of the state are mis-utilised and do not reach the end beneficiaries. PDS items like kerosene, Atta, Sugar or TD supplies of GI Sheets, weaving machines and pump sets are a far cry in the area, asserted Boi.

It may be mentioned that education department identifying defaulting teachers in the hill areas to be penalised. This had been stated by education minister M Okendro Singh himself during a press conference held at SSA Office located at Babupara. It is high time for the department to check teaching staffs posted in the hill areas of Phungyar Sub Division. It was noticed that the maximum of the teaching staffs have been informally substituted or else are perennially absent. The school buildings are also constructed with substandard materials, a village member of the School Management Development Committee (SMDC) told the visiting media team.

Elders of the villages are keen for science and mathematics subjects to be more extensively taught to the younger generations of the village, the headmaster of a school said. He further maintained that in the absence of allotted teachers, they recruit substitute teachers from the village itself and some from Imphal. He said that two of the substitute teachers of maths and science from Imphal have contributed all their heart and soul in teaching both the subjects at Sorde Village.

PDS items of rice is the only item that is available to the villagers, but their prices are sky rocketing, as the media team found out. A rice bag of 50Kg is available at the cost of Rs. 1050 at Nongman Village said a villager and when asked about other items like kerosene and sugar, he replied that those items are not at all available.

Medical facility was another issue of concern as the Primary Health Sub Centres, PHSC, do not function in the area or have not yet been inaugurated. The only PHC located at Phungyar Sub Division was also in deplorable condition.

Chairman Phungyar town People Organisation, Victor Mangsang said that the PHC is in bad state. He said that the only PHC has no water supply and no electricity. It is also totally devoid of telecommunication facility. He added that without water and electricity in a medical institute, the medical staffs are handicapped.

He maintained that the staff quarter is also in deplorable condition and they are living in rented rooms. He further said that the PHC is run by only two doctors and two nurses. The OPD also is open only from 10 to 12 am, he complained. The worse part of the medical facility of the Phungyar Sub Division is that the centre cannot conduct a delivery case which is one big factor to concern of, he asserted.

Rajendro later urged the state Government and concern authority to make all possible effort to supply basic amenities to the people living in the remote areas of the state. He said that education system in the remote areas are in need of strict scrutiny. He further said that integrity do not come with words but actions. He said that the failed Public Distribution System and Tribal Development facilities need to be spruced up so they are made to reach out to the people of the remotest areas of the state.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/04/basic-amenities-at-phungyar-sub-division-villages-still-in-deplorable-conditions/

KANGPOKPI, April 12: The Kuki Students`™ Organization Sadar Hills today has tenaciously criticized the alleged dismantling of ten houses at Laloiphai village reportedly by masked men numbering more than 20 on April 11 early morning at around 3:30 and warned of launching various form of intense agitation if the government fails to nap the culprits at the earliest and award befitting punishment.

Thangminlen Kipgen, president of KSO Sadar Hills, pointed out that Laloiphai Village under Saitu-Gamphazol Block in Sadar Hills has been frequently attacked by Pradhan of Moidangpok village Gambhir Meetei along with a large number of villagers in the past and this time `masked`™ men numbering more than 20 dismantled around 10 houses at Laloiphai village.

He said that the withdrawal of security forces from the village is a matter of great concern and lamented that 86 Bn. CRPF, Keithelmanbi Post preferred to remain a silent spectator to the incident.

KSO Sadar Hills had earlier conveyed its deep displeasure and concerned over the past incidents in Laloiphai giving the fact that such unfortunate happenings could ignite communal tension in the state particularly within the communities settling in Sadar Hills, he added.

He recounted that Laloiphai village came under attack by Gambhir Meetei, Pradhan of Moidangpok along with his villagers on February 12 and unlawfully took away the village signboard and also threatened to burn down the villages any time.

Subsequently, on February 24 chief of Laloiphai village Holkhopao Haokip sent a communique to the circle MLA Ngamthang Haokip, IFCD Minister requesting for deployment of security force in the village and accordingly on March 1 evening security was deployed in the village.

Despite deployment of security forces, on March 1 evening, Gambhir Meetei and his villagers attacked the village twice on February 25 at around 8 pm and on March 1 in which some houses were destroyed and a pregnant woman was allegedly beaten, he said.

The student body president continued that they had earlier warned the Pradhan of Moidangpok and his men that if such communal activities take place in future then they should be solely held responsible for it.

While Laloiphai village had been periodically attacked and threatened by the majority community from time to time without clear underlying principle, the state government never bothers to settle the problems.

The organization has resolved to launch different forms of agitation if the government fails to nab the culprits and give befitting punishment according to the law of the land at the earliest, he cautioned.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/04/kso-sadar-hills-warns-intense-stir-over-laloiphai-incident/