Day: June 28, 2013

IMPHAL, June 28 NNN: The Naga Peoples Front (NPF), Manipur State said the proposed Chakpi Multi-purposed Dam have affected many tribal villages and their lands would be submerged or displaced while ultimate beneficiaries will be non-tribals at the cost of the tribal people.
According to Athuan Abonmai, Manipur chief minister O. Ibobi Singh’s recent announcement to constitute a committee with a retired high court Judge to bring equal development to the hill areas is a blatant lie.
“How can the hill people expect a good thing from the Congress led Manipur government while their fundamental and constitutional rights were denied?” the NPF leader questions.
“Mr. O. Ibobi has stated that the hill people were the ones who misused the development fund of the hill area but we would like to know from the chief minister as to what funds and who had misused them?” the NPF also asked while further posing a question, “Mr Ibobi meant his Congress tribal MLAs or those un-mandated so called district council members?”
Posing a series of questions, NPF, Manipur State secretary Athuan Abonmai said, “What is the quantum of fund allocation for hill districts which is covering 90% of geographical areas of the state? How can a shoe string budget allocation of hill districts do any remarkable achievement in this vast hilly region? Besides,there is a provision of tribal sub-plan in each and every dept. through central funding. Where are all those fund gone? Who has been misappropriating those money? There is no any achievement from any dept. for tribal under tribal sub-plan except Tribal Development department Ibobi may lie but for how long will it last?”
Another discriminatory act of the Manipur government is the recently created/constituted Manipur Rural Development Agency (MRDA), pointed out the Naga party.
“That District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) is a centralised agency whose cannot be diverted/deducted by the state govt. That is why it has deliberately constituted the MRDA so that Manipur state govt. can divert fund meant for hill districts from DRDA. Moreover, it can be facilitating the valley based UGs to deduct DRDA fund of hill districts.
Since the handing over of DRDA to the District Council, the highly reputed agency DRDA is becomes farcical institution. No welfare schemes implemented properly and even the IAY which normally benefited for the poor villagers were totally misused by the so called councillors and distributed to their few selected relatives or dear and near one only. In the name of empowering to the un-mandated ADC Members, 25% of MGNREGS fund is also diverted. It is not empowering but depriving the tribal public in the hill districts of their due share,” the NPF, Manipur State said.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/npf-says-low-budget-for-hill-areas/

IMPHAL, June 28 MNS NNN: Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh today admitted some boundary pillars on the Indo-Myanmar border have been misplaced due to being weathered.
Naoria Pakhanglakpa constituency MLA RK Anand from the ruling Congress party moved a calling attention motion in the House when he expressed prudence about the looming
lose of more boundary area in the Chandel district’s commercial hub Moreh that borders Myanmar.
He said the Government needs action with serious introspection to defend the border of Manipur as its boundary area has reportedly been shrunk adding it is not good news.
The construction of integrated check-post at Moreh has come to a halt with the Government of Myanmar telling the India side to stop it by claiming it as a disputed site, Anand said.
He said a risk persists now after Moreh Gate-1and 2 are being located inside the neighbouring country’s area and what’s more there is quite possibility that The Tamil Sangam Temple in the town will be added further into the border of the neighboring country in near future.
Anand said that it is never a right move of the Government to sit idle when the crucial issue of boundary comes up and it should also reveal its policy to address the issue in the interest of the public.
Responding to it, Ibobi admitted that some boundary pillars erected along Indo-Myanmar border have been found missing, saying it must have been due to being seasoned.
He said India and Myanmar has started establishing cordial relations after the Look East Policy.
The countries now are to conduct survey at Boundary Pillar-9 and the remaining are pillars 76, 91, 92 and 94, the Chief Minister informed the House.
The loss of pillars on the border must have been due to being seasoned, he said, adding the boundary dispute between the two countries is caused by pending demarcation on the border area.
The two countries have already conducted joint survey on the border thrice, Ibobi informed clarifying that the question of infringement of the Tamil Sangam Temple does not arise in the border dispute.
Ibobi further clarified that Mynamar has never asked the Indian side to stop the pillar construction works being taken up along the border but it has instead asked for a proper demarcation of the location to continue the works.
The Government is expecting an early settlement of the border dispute, Ibobi assured while affirming that there is no question of compromising the state’s boundary.
Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam today said efforts are on to open a passport office.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/early-solution-expected-over-land-dispute-in-border-areas-cm/