Manipur News

IMPHAL, January 11: It is of utmost importance that the State government provide some financial assistance to promote the cultural discipline of Thang-Ta on a much larger scale, said former commissioner Arts and Culture, IAS (retd) P Bhorot Singh today.

He was speaking as the chief guest while inaugurating the festival of Thang-Ta at the complex of the Huyen Lallong Manipur Thang-Ta Cultural Association.

Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal, a constituent unit of Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi in collaboration with Huyen Lallong Manipur Thang-Ta Cultural Association, Irilbung, Imphal East is organising the festival as part of its year-long diamond jubilee celebration.

The inaugural function of the three-day long festival was also attended by JNMDA (retd) director L Joychandra Singh as president.

The State, Bhorot observed, has a rich and vibrant culture which is being showcased at numerous cultural festivals in the State as well as outside the State.

He also lauded the JNMDA for including the Thang-Ta festival in its diamond jubilee observation.

Thang-Ta is one cultural exponent of the State which has been much appreciated by people from outside the State, he continued urging the State government to come forward and put more efforts to promote the Thang-Ta which is one of the oldest art form of the State.

The art form is today being preserved and supported by NGOs and professional artists and it is time for the government to atleast allocate one percent of the State fund to assist in the efforts, he continued.

He further observed that regularising a uniform costume and rule and regulation of the art form would help much in putting it on a universal platform.

Gurus of different institutes teaching Thang-Ta were also felicitated during the programme.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/former-arts-and-culture-commissioner-seeks-more-government-assistance-to-promote-thangta/

IMPHAL, January 11: Delegates from the Centre and Myanmar government who will be jointly surveying the route for the proposed Imphal-Mandalay international bus service have both arrived today at Imphal, according to a reliable source.

A highly official source has informed that a 10 member team of the Myanmar government arrived at Imphal passing along the Asian Highway 1 (Moreh-Imphal), whereas the Indian delegate arrived by flight today.

The joint team will leave Imphal for Kaliwa in Myanmar around 7:30 am of January 12, and according to their tentative schedule they will travel upto Mandalay via Yargyi the next day, the source said.

On January 14, they will leave Mandalay for Kalimyo via Pale Gangaw from where the Indian team will return to Imphal on January 15.

The State government had received prior information from the Ministry of External Affairs BM Division of Myanmar regarding the arrival of the country`™s delegation for the proposed joint survey mission, the source said.

It is also learnt that the Myanmar team is led by U San Aung, DG Rail Transport and includes U Than Toe Aung, U Kyaw Kyaw, U Aung Soe, U Kyaw Thu Zaw Superintending Engineers of Sagaing Region, Public Works Ministry of Construction, Myanmar.

The Indian team is led by an official of the Ministry of External Affairs Government of India and accompanied by two superintending engineers from the Ministry of Road and Transport. However, there names were not available.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/indian-and-myanmar-delegates-for-survey-work-of-impmandalay-bus-service-arrive-in-state/

IMPHAL, Jan 11: Corruption in the state has reached the highest level. The news of Rs. 6 lakh bribe tag to be selected as a constable in the state police department by candidates is still fresh in our minds and now we are hearing the news of Rs. 7 lakh bribe tag to get the post of fireman in the Manipur fire service. This is not what the elected representative should do.

This was said by Manipur State Council, CPI secretary Dr M Nara Singh speaking at the 42nd Annual Conference of Kumbi Local Council Communist Party of India (CPI) at Kumbi Ibudhou Sandhong Community Hall today.

He further said that CPI will take the role of an opposition considering the many problems faced by the people of the state including corruption.

`We know that the Congress party is losing in most parts of the country and BJP led NDA is gaining its momentum. However it will not happen in the case of Manipur as the state BJP is led by a person who spent a long period in the Congress earlier before joining the BJP and everyone is aware of that,` he said.

And also the NDA government has failed to meet the expectation of the people and CPI believes secularism will become the leading force for the people, he added.

In today`™s meeting, Communist leader N Mangi Singh, who had been an elected representative of the Kendra, announced 18 point statement to be submitted to the government in favour of Kumbi Kendra.

The first point says that the Khuga Multipurpose Project does not serve the people at all. The project completely failed to provide water to the paddy fields. The project was inaugurated by AICC president Sonia Gandhi however the construction of right canal is still not complete.

The today`™s meeting also formed the Kumbi Local Council, CPI which has 63 members and nominated Jayentakumar Salam as the secretary of the council.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/corruption-in-the-state-has-reached-alarming-level-says-cpi-leader-dr-nara/

IMPHAL, January 11: Pressuring the NDA government at the Centre to initiate investigations on the Loktak Lake scam in the State is our first priority, claimed State BJP chief Thounaujam Chaoba.

Talking to media persons at the BJP office in Nityaipat Chuthek, he said a BJP team led by him has recently inspected the condition of the NH-37, Imphal-Jiribam road. A detailed report on the condition of the road will be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Defence Minister and the Road Transport Minister after reaching Delhi on January 15, he added.

In the meeting, he said, he will mount pressure on the Union government to complete the development of the road by coming March before the rainy season, adding `we should be ashamed about the abysmal condition of the NH-37 before the people of other States.`

It is unfortunate that leaders of the State chose to visit district headquarters by helicopters to avoid the ground reality. Such practices can`™t be found in other places, he lamented.

Shifting focus on the Loktak Lake Phumdi clearance scam involving Rs 222 crores, the State BJP chief said his party won`™t remain a silent spectator in the near future reminding that the scam was first brought to light by the BJP in 2010. The BJP has conducted several spot inspections in the Loktake Lake and is still protesting against the government and their policies in the interests of fishermen and farmers in the lake.

The State BJP chief said the party has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into the scam and book those involved during his recent visit in the State to attend the Sangai Festival where he spent half an hour at the party office. Expressing optimism that the PM will soon start investigations against the Loktak Lake Scam as assured to the people of Manipur, Thounaojam Chaoba said not even a single rupee was misused during the PM`™s campaign in last February.

Chaoba said he is sure that investigations will be started to expose the multi-crore scam but he can`™t tell when it will be initiated by the Central government while requesting people to wait for some more time.

After uncovering the Loktak Lake scam, several other scams involving the MDS will be subsequently exposed in a series. For such expose`™, the BJP has already several leads that will help uncover the scams and is already preparing for such a line of action, the State BJP chief said.

`Even though the BJP is bereft of a single MLA or MP, it will ferret out the corruption culture in government offices as well as those perpetuated by powerful individuals. The BJP will not rest for a single moment until the fight against corruption is taken to every nook and corner of the state. It will not spare anybody found guilty of practicing corruption whether they happen to politicians or any top ranking bureaucrats of the state`, Thounaojam Chaoba said.

BJP don`™t believe in corruption, nepotism or favouritism and if anybody is found guilty inside the party of indulging in such practices he too will not be spare, he said, urging people to inform the party office if they come across corrupt practises whether be it in the Chief Minister`™s Office, Secretariat or any government department.

For the convenience of people, a complaint box is going to be placed at the gate of the BJP office from tomorrow. All the complaints will be delivered to the Central government and befitting actions against the culprits will be taken up, the BJP chief assured.

Spokesperson of the BJP Manipur Pradesh, RK Shivachandra said PM Narendra Modi was aware of the multi-crore Loktak Lake scam before being sworn-in as the Prime Minister.

The BJP is now united and will collectively face any allegations made to our leaders from this moment onward.

The BJP workers have contributed a lot to reach this present state by facing various problems. Recently, some individual try to malign our party president Chaoba by accusing him of indulging in corrupt practices during the replacement of the former RIMS director but the party stands united and will face such charges collectively.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/probe-into-multicrore-loktak-scam-is-partys-first-priority-th-chaoba/

IMPHAL, January 11: The State should take the initiative and recommend to the Prime Minister to compensate the victim families of the unfortunate May 1993 Meitei-Meitei Pangal riot, said Pangal (Manipuri Muslim) Political

Forum Manipur spokesperson MI Khan during a press meet at the Manipur Press Club today.

He said that the government compensation provided to the victim families during the time was only in namesake.

The organisation would have to take the help of the law in case the government fails to listen to the demand he warned.

In an unfortunate riot between the two communities ignited by a simple mistake in 1993, 140 people were killed including three whole families and 25 others were injured he said.

The riot was controlled only after the intervention of several civil organisations of the State MI Khan said.

Many of the victims of the riot are still surviving under difficult conditions he asserted.

The NDA government had last month provided Rs 3 lakhs and Rs 5 lakhs monetary assistance to the victims of the 1984 Punjab riot, MI Khan observed strengthening the organisation`™s demand.

As the government has provided the compensation to the Punjab riot it is only pertinent that the victims of the Meitei-Meitei Pangal riot are also compensated, MI Khan continued.

General secretary Abdul Jabar said victim families of the 1993 riot should come forward and contact the Hatta office of the organisation before January 30 as it is trying to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the State Chief Minister after listing out the names of the victims.

Meanwhile, PPF women`™s wing president Leina Shahani also warned of serious agitation in case the demand is not fulfilled.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/muslim-body-seeks-compensation-for-1993-meiteimeitei-pangal-riot-victims/