Tag: OKram Ibobi

IMPHAL, July 22: India is a democratic country and the press has its own freedom. Certain news reports are based on information received from sources. The media is unbiased and has no partiality. House member Agriculture minister should keep the habit of reading newspapers.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh stated during the Assembly sitting today.

Demands for Agriculture and Fishery departments, which are both under Md Abdul Nasir were tabled today under Demand No 17 and 37 respectively.

Raising a motion for disapproval of policy cut during the discussion on the demands, MLA Dr I Ibohalbi had asked why Asem Priyokumar Singh of Kumbi, who had already received a national level award as the best producer of rice, was placed at Serial No 3 in the list for the State Award. Was this the reason behind his not receiving the State award, he asked adding that there were reports on the issue in the local dailies.

In his reply, minister Md Abdul Nasir said it has been six-seven months since he had read the newspapers.

He continued, what could have been easily resolved through dialogue had often been splashed in the newspapers, degrading the image of the newspapers.

He told the House, now he directly approaches the court instead of approaching the newspapers.

Asserting that the media had printed many baseless reports about him in the past, Md Abdul Nasir said it has been long since, he had read a newspaper.

Hearing the minister’s reply, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi stood up from his seat and with a wry smile said, the minister would have known what was being reported if he had read the newspapers.

Even if there was anything condemnable or which need clarification, he would have got the opportunity.

Ibobi said even if a newspaper report had infringed on the member’s privilege, he is entitled to take the matter to the court.

The Chief Minister also added that his advice, not only as the leader of the House, but from the side of the government to the minister, would be to read the newspapers.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/read-the-newspapers-cm-advises-md-abdul-nasir/

Media restrained from taking pictures or querying too far

THOUBAL, June 15: In what could be described as amazing and at the same time shocking, robbers gained entry into the private residence of the State’s Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh at Thoubal Athokpam Makha Leikai and decamped away with several valuables and household items.

Sources said, the burglary came to light only around 1pm today.

Soon after the incident came to light, DGP Shahid Ahmad led a State police team including top officials to the burglary site to take stock of the situation.

The State forensic team also arrived and examined the crime scene.

On the other hand, top police officials restricted the media from taking pictures of the scene and disuaded them from publishing the report.

According to local sources, no one stays at the house and is kept locked for most of the times.

The locks are opened only when family members come for a visit, sources said. The immediate neighbour on the northern side of the three storeyed building is the Chief Minister’s younger brother Okram Ibotomba.

Around 30 personnel of the 3rd IRB are deployed round the clock at the northern main gate of the building; however, the southern main gate was unguarded, informed the sources.

It is also believed that the robbers could have entered the house from the southern side taking advantage of the absence of security.

It is also learnt that the Chief Minister’s wife and Khangabok MLA Okram Landhoni had come to attend a prize distribution function for meritorious students. Before the start of the function, the MLA wanted to rest for some time at the house.

The burglary came to light only when the MLA entered the house and found the locks of the other rooms all broken and the house ransacked.

However, it is not known, when and how the burglary was carried out.

Only the rooms on the third floor were burgled, and the estimate of the items burgled or what was missing from the house could not be confirmed, informed the source.

Meanwhile, local eyewitnesses said that soon after receiving the news of the burglary, a huge contingent of the police arrived and surrounded the area.

Suspecting that explosives could have been planted inside the house, the bomb expert and the forensic team were called to inspect the house, further added the source.

It is also learnt that a ladder suspected to be used by the burglars was recovered and some fingerprints detected from around the window sills.

It is also believed that the burglars could have climbed from a storehouse near the southern gate.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/chief-ministers-thoubal-residence-burgled/