Manipur News

IMPHAL, October 28: The United Kuki Liberation Front has clarified that allegations of the outfit’s involvement in the kidnapping on Tongbram Ibomcha alias Ibungomacha of Kairenphabi Mamang Leikai is totally baseless and unfounded.

A statement of the outfit signed by its info and publicity secy JM Thadou said the report which was carried in some local dailies on October 27 is unfounded.

It said being a signatory of the Suspension of Operation with the government, the outfit never indulge in such activities as kidnapping for ransom, rather the organization had busted and arrested some gang members who indulged in kidnapping of Md Nasir Khan of Terakhongshangbi from Kumbi area for ransom recently.

It continued that the arrested gang members were handed over to the police.

UKLF has only one designated camp at a remote hill village in Chandel and not in Tuisomjang village of Churachandpur as alleged by Tongbram Ibomcha of Kairenphabi Mamang Leikai who is said to be the assistant marketing officer in the Manipur Hills and Backward Development C0-operation Bank, Lamphel Super market, it said.

Moreover, all the cadres of the organization were in the designated camp and have no knowledge of kidnapping of anybody for ransom, the statement said.

The organization also informed the two persons mentioned in the report namely Ibungomacha and Letmang Kuki as well as all the others involved in the incident to clarify at the earliest.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/uklf-clarifies-on-kidnapping-allegation/

IMPHAL, October 28: Hectic construction work has begun at Hapta Kangjeibung, the main venue of the Manipur Sangai festival 2014, due to be held from November 21 till 30.

The Manipur Industrial Development Corporation (MANIDCO), has started construction of stalls which is one of the main components of the festival.

Unlike in the previous editions, this year will witness a sharp declined in the number of stalls.

Only 500 stalls will be arranged by the concerned departments of which 180 stall is being categorised as premium, 170 as ordinary and 150 as food stalls.

Over 200 stalls each were allocated for both premium and ordinary categories in the earlier editions.

Speaking to IFP, an official of the MANIDCO revealed that the delay in completion of Sanjenthong Bridge is one of the factors for the decline in the number of stalls.

The closure of Sanjenthong has increased the menace of traffic congestion hindering the movement of officials who are organising the event, the official said.

Moreover, the reduction of stalls will ease the volume of congestion inside the main venue, justified the MANIDCO official further.

Each stall will be 12 feet wide and 16 feet long and will be completed five days before the grand event.

On the other hand, the Imphal Municipal Council (IMC) has disclosed that it would abstain from extending co-operation during the 10-day long event, if the festival organisers fail to acknowledge IMC as co-organisers.

Since the beginning of the festival, IMC has been responsible for sanitation for the entire event ranging from providing dumping ground for garbage and sanitary, creating a conducive atmosphere, said an active functionary of IMC under the condition of anonymity.

As per an estimate prepared by IMC, the total charge for their service is around Rs. 7 lakhs including hiring charge of machineries. However, with the organisers have been maintaining silence till date, the IMC is of the view that the sanitation services is likely to be handed over to a private firm, the official said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/sangai-fest-to-have-fewer-stalls-imc-meanwhile-fumes/

IMPHAL, October 28: The final hearing for disqualification case of Trinamool Congress MLAs Kh Joykishan of Thangmeiband Assembly Constituency, Th Biswajit of Thongju Assembly Constituency, O Lukhoi of Wangoi Assembly Constituency and K Sarat of Konthoujam Assembly Constituency was held today at the Manipur Legislative Assembly Tribunal.

According to sources, the hearing which began from 10.30 am was held behind close door at the office of the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly today without allowing entry to any outsiders.

This being the case, till 3 pm today no information was made available to reporters who were waiting for news coverage.

Except for MLA K Sarat of Konthoujam Assembly Constituency, no respondent MLAs were seen coming to the tribunals even though their counsels represented them.

Sources also said that the hearing of the case filed by MLA Shyamkumar against MLA Kh Joykishan and MLA Th Bishorjit was held today, but it has been adjourned and will continue tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the tribunals has also conducted the final hearing of case No:4 and heard the arguments of the counsels for the MLAs in the office of the Speaker, Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat.

It may be recalled this hearing was adjourned yesterday and rescheduled today.

The verdict, however, remained unpronounced.

The sources further said that hearing of case No:7 against MLA K Sarat has been fixed on November 11, and case No:8 filed by Kim Gangte against Dr Ibohalbi will be conducted on November 13.

It is learnt that K Sarat has sought time to replace his counsel, and Dr Ibohalbi is presently out of station.

It may be mentioned that the cases had been filed against the said four MLAs by the State Trinamool president, Th Shyamkumar and Kim Gangte, demanding disqualification on the ground of anti-party activities.

The four MLAs have been charged of defection, and the petitioners pleaded the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution be invoked to disqualify them.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/fate-of-four-trinamool-mlas-remain-uncertain/