Manipur News

IMPHAL, Aug 7 NNN : The All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) has alleged that school building construction works under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Avyan (RMSA), Manipur have not been completed in want of funds.
ATSUM general secretary Vareiyo Shatsang said that old school buidings have been dismantled for the construction of new buildings under RMSA for 2010-2011 and at the end of the day it is the students who have been greatly affected. The ATSUM leader said the students’ body had investigated on the matter and found out that contractors engaging in the works could not complete the task as the fund meant for the works have not been released by the concerned authority.
ATSUM then alleged even whatever amount that was released earlier, there were 11.7% deduction as departmental charge and 5.6% deduction as local sale tax which is totalling to some 17% deduction.
“We have investigated on the matter and the concerned authority has told us that the finance rule has it that these two components are to be deducted at source,” the ATSUM revealed.
According to ATSUM, regarding the NLCPR projects such deductions are not allowed.
“We have also received numerous complaints that there have been heavy impositions of taxes both from valley and hill based underground organisations,” said ATSUM while adding, “Since RMSA works are closely related with education and the welfare of the student community, we are disturbed to see this kind of unbecoming action from the concerned authorities.”
The tribal students’ body then urged the concerned authorities to rectify it at the earliest in the interest of the student community.
Meanwhile, at the backdrop of the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) gaining momentum for recognition of Meiteis as Scheduled Tribe, ATSUM demanded for setting up of a separate state commission for Scheduled Tribe under Article 338-A of the Constitution.
“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 the 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”, ATSUM said.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/works-under-rmsa-not-progressing/

Imphal Aug 7 UNA : Pointing a flaw in the counter affidavit filed by Manipur government in the Supreme Court of India regarding extra judicial killing by police and security force in the state, mother of one of the victims Wednesday demanded police production her daughter-in-law ad grand children.
Lata Devi, mother of fake encounter victim Onsorjit who had appeared in the Supreme Court on Tuesday and arrived at Imphal today, alleged that Manipur government in its counter affidavit submitted to the court mentioned that his son was a married man having children eventhough he was actually a bachelor.
“My son had not married,” she said urging the government to produce if his son had wife and children and hand over to them to her so that she can bring up her grand children.
Onsorjit was one of the victims of extrajudicial killing meted out by the police and security force in Manipur which included among the six cases which the Supreme Court order for inquiry by a three-member panel headed by Santosh Hedge.
After the inquiry commission submitted its reports qualifying all the six cases as fake encounter, the Supreme Court on Tuesday has issued a reminder to the state government to submit a copy of the report of various inquiries conducted on AFSPA in Manipur by September 10 to the apex Court.
There are 27 such inquiries conducted by various independent commissions, including the case of Th Manorama Devi and the court fixed the next hearing on September 17, 2013, Babloo of Human Rights Alert informed the media at a press briefing regarding the latest development in the case filed by  Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families’ Association (AAVFAM).
The Supreme Court-appointed committee probing the six cases of alleged extra-judicial killings has it its report submitted to the court stated that these were not genuine encounters and the victims, including a 12-year-old boy, did not have any criminal records.
A bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai perused the committee’s report which said none of the six cases qualify as encounters and they are fake.
Meanwhile the National Human Rights Commission has prayed for more time to submit its comment on the Justice Santosh Hegde led enquiry commission’s report. The Centre, Ministry of Defence, Home and the
State Government have submitted their comments and arguments, sources said.
The State and Union Governments have reportedly recommended handing
over the matter to the CID and CBI respectively to investigate the alleged cases.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/mother-of-fake-encounter-victim-finds-flaw-governments-affidavit/