Day: August 4, 2017

IMPHAL | Aug 4

 The Manipur Appropriation Bill, number 4 has been moved in the House today by deputy chief minister Y Joykumar and 15 members from the opposition bench participated in the proceeding. The bill has been passed unanimously.

During the motion , various queries related to many government departments and programs were asked from the opposition bench.

The Chief Minister replying to the queries mentioned that the government is trying to restore flight to Silchar and also to other states of Mizoram and Dimapur.

He also added that the Pawan Hans is being approached to make operational helicopter services.

The Manipur Committee for schedule tribes is already in operation with a three member team and the ministry of tribal affairs has replied back to the state in 2013 regarding the SC/ST demand status.

The recommendations are being sought also from the state then, Biren added that the last bill for the protection of indigenous people will be discussed and rectified.

For the case of missing rice quota, he said that a 3 member team led by a commissioner is being set up to investigate the case.

The government is also to set up four grievance centres for any law and order related problems and the public can avail any emergency help.

He said that the government has already purchased land for building a bhawan at Mumbai, and a deputy resident commissioner, a localite is being deputed to look after the Delhi Manipur bhawan.

He said that Hill Area Development scheme under DoNER is taken up to look after the development of the hills districts.

Three districts have been recommended for taking up the projects.

The Chief Minister mentioned that some government officials are not sincere nor have a sense of nationalism, it is a main problem of the state, he said and pointed that there will be no doubling of records in the electoral roll. 

The leader of the opposition, O Ibobi Singh on the floor of the House said that his previous government had given maximum funds in bringing about development in the hills.

He said that there have been problems in acquiring funds by the state and there is not much revenue collection. He maintained that there is only the ministry of DoNER and the North East Council from which funds are sought for development for the state, the state also faces immense problems in sanctioning the state share monetarily to match the central funding’s.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Aug 4

A team of the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) conducted a spot inquiry yesterday at Sainik School, Pangei, in connection with the unnatural death of a minor student who was found dead in a pond near the school campus.

A statement issued by the SK. Sharma, chairman MCPCR, stated that the spot inquiry was conducted with an objective to ascertain the facts behind the unnatural death of a minor student namely master Wangkhem Imocha Meitei, 16, son of W. Khogen Meitei, a student of sainik school Imphal, reading in class IX.

The team met the principal and staffs of sainik school Imphal and took the stock of the progress of inquiries and other actions taken up by the school authority so far, it said.

The team also repotedly went to Nongren village, Imphal East and met the parents and guardians of the deceased student and heard their statements.

The five official team of the MCPCR was led by its chairperson, S. Saratkumar Sharma, while three other members were S. Shyamcharan Singh, Keisam Pradipkumar and Ch. Nabachandra Singh.

In the light of such an unfortunate incident the MCPCR reiterated to all the authorities of both government and private run educational institutions, and persons who look after the students’ hostels and boarding to take all precautionary measures strictly to avoid such untoward incidents.

Further it is appealed to the respective authorities to provide all the school going students with age appropriate basic life skills including swimming, sports climbing, horse riding, self defense, adventure sports and first aid technique as a part of co-curricular activities.

31. Khogen was found dead in a pond situated near the school campus July 31. He death sparked controversy following the delay of the school authority to inform the death of the school boy to family.

Four demands passed

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Aug 4

 A total of Rs 371,831,800 was passed by the House today in four demands for grants. The demands include the public health engineering, minor irrigation, state academy for training and science and technology.

The demands for grants were met with policy cuts from N. Loken, D. Korungthang, K. Meghachandra, Fajur Rahim, Kh. Joykisan, Rk. Imo, K. Arthur and Okram Henry.

The main policy cut motion raised mainly for the PHE was failure to complete water supply schemes in time, lack of water supply in hill areas, failure of effective implementation of existing schemes, lack of administration in the PHE department, failure of the government to complete water supply schemes, no clear cut policy to ensure water for Ukhrul district among others.

PHE minister Loshii Dikho stated that the problems are not created overnight and the new government is just four months old. However, he maintained that inability to provide drinking water is a shame and it is a big issue.

He said that the main problems for water scarcity were caused by rampant deforestation, uncontrolled quarrying and siltation in major rivers. The problem of drinking water will be over in Imphal valley once the Toubal Multipurpose Project is completed.

He said that at least 45 million litres can be supplied from the dam. A plan is also being suggested to source water from the Barak river.

Dikho said that Ukhrul faces water crisis as it is a hill district primarily and village chiefs asks for royalty for the water source from the Shirui hills. He said that focus will be given in implementing rain water harvesting to mitigate the drinking water problems.

He stated that for the Bishnupur district, potable water will be sourced from Sanapat lake. Problems are there for laying pipes due to scarcity of funds. Water will be available at Mantripukri area after completion of the Koirengei water supply scheme in 2018 March. The minister added that all tenders pertaining to the PHE department are conducted through e-tenders only.

Hunt for Senapati rapist on

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Aug 4

Chief minister N. Biren Singh today informing the House on the serious concern of the government on crimes against women, said police is putting full effort to hunt down the culprits involved in the rape and attempted murder of a minor girl in Senapati district.

The chief minister was replying to a calling attention motion moved by Opposition MLA Ak. Mirabai Devi.

He divulged that the government has sent high ranking police officers including IGP and DIG in the district to expedite investigation of the case.

The police in co-operation with local NGOs and public are putting all efforts to solve the case and book the culprits at the earliest, he added.

Biren claimed that the establishment of separate fast track court women speaks for itself the seriousness of the government on crimes committed against women and children.

Against this backdrop, police are under strong instruction to frame charge-sheet against culprits in crime against women at the earliest, he asserted.

The immediately suspension of four police personnel including two women police in the recent suicide case of a woman inside Andro police station, is another glaring example of the seriousness of the government, Biren further added.

He informed that the more than 90 percent of accused in crimes against women have been arrested.

The chief minister also expressed concerned on the degrading moral of the people and said the State seems to witness an increasing trend in the number of crimes against women cases.

He further informed the House that representatives of the government had visited the victim girl at the hospital where she is presently undergoing treatment and provided assistance to the family.

The government will continue to provide all possible assistance to the girl and her family and even take her outside the state for treatment if the need arises, he assured.

Biren taking seriousness note of the suggestion for separate legislation to protect women from crime, informed the House to explore on the feasibility to do so.

Mirabai moving her motion maintained the crime against women in the state has increased at an alarming rate.

She said 25 rape cases were reported during this year.

Subsequently, Mirabai suggested setting up of fast-track courts in all districts to deal with crimes against women and also separate legislation to protect women.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Aug 4

The Imphal West special judge POCSO today convicted a man under section 8 of POCSO Act for sexual assault of a minor girl. The court fixed Monday for sentence hearing to decide the quantum of punishment.

Under this section a convict can be imprisoned not less than three years which may extend up to five years with fine.

The convict is identified as Chanambam Brojen (42) son of Ch. Bihari of Ngairangbam Makha Leikai. The court today announced the conviction after it was reserved till today after the final argument hearing.

The conviction came one year after the death of the victim girl.

During the final argument hearing of the special POCSO trial case number 4 of 2014 on July 20 the prosecution witness, who is the wife of the convict clearly deposed in her statement that while she along with the victim were sitting together eating pan near the kitichen of her house her husband suddenly embraced the victim from behind.

She also mentioned that her husband tried to pull the victim to the bed. She hit her husband by a vessel and she along with the victim escaped from the house.

The additional public prosecutor stated before the court that after the incident the psychiatric problem of the victim increased so they were not able to examine the victim’s statement properly.

However, the victim gave her statement before the investigation officer and the chief judicial magistrate, Imphal West and the victim expired on July 28 last year when the trial was in progress.

The defence counsel during final argument submitted to the court said the convict’s wife as prosecution witness falsely implicated her husband for not allowing her to go to her parental house and added that that there was no incident of sexual assault.

After hearing both the counsel the court convicted the accused under section 8 of POCSO Act.

It may be mention that the written complaint against the accused was filed by the father of the victim on April 5, 2012 that on April 4, 2012 at around 2.30 pm his daughter was sexually assaulted by the accused when she went to the house of the accused to take money.