Manipur News

IMPHAL, June 20: The National Highway 53 truck owners association has mocked the government’s target to complete the construction of the highway by 2013 while taking into account the failure of the government to start implementation of work till date.

A team of media persons along with the association conducted a survey of the condition of the NH 53 from June 18 to June 19.

While speaking to media persons during the survey the spokesperson of the association, Kh. Inaoba expressed his apprehension about the condition of the NH in case the monsson sets in fully given the present deplorable condition of the highway.

He said that the condition is worse especially from Barak to Nungdollan. The section remain muddy making it risky for vehicles mainly the trucks to pass through during the monsoon. There are high chances of getting stuck in the thick mud or slipping as the trail left on the muddy road by the heavy loaded trucks is knee deep, he added.

He further maintained the main factor for the condition was absence of proper drainage system and added that 80 percent of the road conditions are not favourable for vehicles to ply.

He also claimed that the stone piled up at the road side, to be used in the repairing of roads are of low quality.

Taking into account the ground reality of the road the spokespersons stated that the target set by the government to complete the works of developing the NH-53 by 2013 will be impossible.

Despite the hardship the truckers have been plying on the road and also added that the price of essential commodities would be low if the condition of the road is improved.

In the meantime, A. Khomei Singh, manager in charge FCI godown, Jiribam stated that the condition of the FCI godown is outdated and needs to be upgraded to do away with the woes of rice scarcity in the state.

He said that since January 11, 2011, a 22 compartment train with ten trips per week has been feeding the FCI godown which to some extent has improved the woes.

However in order to make the most of the improving situation the condition of the 2500 metric tone capacity FCI godown much be further upgraded to the required 20,000 capacity.

Besides the manger incharge suggested for the need for using better train against the current which derail often in rainy season due to its small size and, also suggested the unloading of the loads at the godown directly.

The manager also appealed the concerned authority to upgrade the man power of the godown.

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TAMENGLONG, June 20: A rare facility in the computer age- a private run ‘Computer Learning Centre’ was formally opened this morning by Karmendra Kumar 2nd in command 11 Assam Rifles as chief guest in the presence of Rev Guingopou, president town churches union Tamenglong, Athanbou Pamei, president Village Authority Chairman Council and leaders of Zeliangrong organizations at Tamenglong ward no IV. 

The computer learning centre was sanction under Military Civic Action 2010- 2011.

Speaking as chief guest Karmendra Kumar said that in this contemporary world people need to know the computer. The proprietor of Gai Enterprises Daniel Kamei expressed his sincere thank to the 11 Assam Rifles.

Meanwhile Athanbou Pamei, president VACC Tamenglong and recipient of India Golden Personalities & Great Indian Citizen Award has submitted a memorandum to maj general Hooda, GOC Assam Rifles, Leimakhong seeking humble request for broad base expansion of Military Civic Action plan in respect of Tamenglong district for construction of inter village road, IVR, rural playground, community hall, installation non- conventional source of power energy at the villages of Tamenglong.

He stated that the long cherished dreams of the ignorant people could not be materialized on account of the shortage of development funds.

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NEW DELHI, June 20 (MIC): Government has released Rs. 77.50 crore to different states under the Rain-fed Area Development Programme (RADP) in 2011-12 so far. The budgetary allocation for the current financial year is to the tune of Rs. 250 crore. Rain-fed areas of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh are covered under RADP. 

RADP is a sub scheme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). The programme aims at improving the quality of life of farmers, especially small and marginal farmers, by offering a complete package of activities suitable for rain-fed areas. The scheme is implemented by State Agriculture Department, the nodal agency for implementation of RKVY.

All the rain-fed areas (i.e. areas which are not covered under assured means of irrigation) having large extent of cultivable land and potential for increasing agriculture productivity are covered under RADP. Within the rain-fed areas, priority is given to arid, semi-arid and sub-humid ecosystems.

Rain-fed areas constitute about three-fourth of the land mass under arid, semi-arid, and dry-humid zones and account for nearly 57 per cent of the agricultural land spread across large parts of the country. These areas are significant in terms of ecology, agricultural productivity and livelihood for millions of rural households in the country.

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IMPHAL June 20: The Andro Kendra Development Organization is organizing the fourth edition of the Pineapple fair cum youth festival at Yairipok Thambalnu Market in Andro constituency starting from July 3 till July 7. 

A press conference was held this afternoon at the Imphal branch of AKDO in connection with the fair.

Talking to the media persons, Md Fakarudin, president, of the organisation informed that it is organizing such a festival to give an economic impetus to the local pineapple growers by giving opportunities to showcase and sell their product during the festival.

Keeping in view of the increasing number of participants in the previous years, Fakarudin said that the organisation is preparing to host the largest pineapple fair cum youth festival in the state. He appealed for support and encouragement from the concerned government authority and civil societies in the state for such function as a mark of support to the local farmers. Talking to the media persons he added that last year more than 3000 tons of pineapples were produced by the farmers and is hoping to increase the yield this year.

On the other side, Md. Fakarudin, during the press conference said that on June 23 AKDO will be organizing a felicitation cum prize distribution programme to all the first divisioners from Andro A/C in the examination conducted by BOSEM , COHSEM and CBSE for year 2011.The prize distribution ceremony will be held at the Top Chintha community hall under Andro constituency.

Fakarudin said that till this evening 285 students had already given their name to the association for the felicitation.

During the festival cash prizes will be given to farmers who bag the top three spots and also consolation prizes will be accorded to all participating farmers.

The festival was started in 2008 with only 62 participants, however, the following years saw a sudden surge in the numbers of participants with 98 participants in 2009 and 138 participants in 2010 respectively, which were vying for the top spot during the festival.

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IMPHAL, June 20: The villagers of Nungba has strongly urged the government to remove former secretary of Nungba Village Authority, Dimthaorei Gangmei from the government gazette alleging that the former secretary has misappropriated huge amount of funds under MNREGS.

A press meet was held in this connection at Nungba area jointly organised by the Nungba Village Authority, Nungba Bazaar Board and customary court Nungba Sub-division Head Quarter.

Speaking at the meet Bandai Kamei, secretary of the customary court alleged that a huge amount of fund was misappropriated by Dimathaorei Gangmei, for works taken up under MGNREGS, 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Bandai Kamei also informed that the former secretary had withdrawn an amount of Rs. 15.80 lakhs for construction of five sub-standard culvert along the Burma Road (inter village circular road) without the knowledge of the concerned organization within the area. He said that the incident happened during the tension surrounding the appointment of the Nungba Village Authority chairman.

Bandai maintained that under the construction scheme 40 percent of the fund was meant for material components which also includes skilled labours but the Dimathaorei manipulated it by entrusting job card holders to do the construction work instead of the skilled labours.

He further alleged that even though the funds allotted include construction of tanks and for water pipes, the tanks were never constructed.

On May 16 Dimthaorei was expelled by a general body meeting of the various Nungba unit organisations for his failure to give his statement on the alleged misappropriation and lack of transparency. A social audit public hearing was also conducted before his expulsion, said Bandai.

Alung Kamei was elected by the people of Nungba as the secretary of the village authority however the government did not removed Dimthaorei from the gazette of the government, further revealed Bandai Kamei. He urged the government to remove the fraud immediately in the interest of people which has created a sense of confusion between the people and may result in unwanted disturbances in the area.

Ngankeilak Kamei, member of Bazaar board stated that usually the culvert constructed by Dimthaorei cost below Rs one lakh.

He said the work was implemented without maintaining any transparency and knowledge of the people or the various social bodies of Nungba. The people here including the social bodies have no idea how the culvert should be build per the work provision as no one has been informed of it, Ngankeilak maintained.

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In Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner” a novel which traces the fortune of a Pashtoon family in the backdrop of war ravaged Afghanistan, the protagonist Amir Jan whose talent as a creative writer began showing early in his boyhood, in his first attempt at writing a story as a schoolboy, thinks of a situation in which a man who was blessed that his tears would become pearls, kills his beloved wife so that his sadness would make him weep endlessly and thus reap a harvest of pearls. In the end the man is indeed found sitting on a mound of pearls, obviously richer than he imagined he could ever be, with wealth he cannot hope to use in a lifetime, but profoundly sad and lonely than he ever was. The budding sense of irony, a vital ingredient of any good story teller was unmistakable, and the boy after the war at home made him a refugee in America is to become a successful writer. He would also then return to Afghanistan to atone for a deep sense of guilt at having betrayed his boyhood friend, someone who never ever failed to stand by him through thick and thin, and who eventually turned out to be a half brother, born of a servant’s wife his father had a sexual relations with.

The child imagination, undoubtedly informed by the turmoil at home and fanatical insistence with which the Taliban were self-inflicting endless and meaningless injuries on Afghanistan, in what they called would ultimate be the deliverance of Afghanistan through “the path of God”, was telling in many ways. It spoke of skewed values and aspirations, ones that have slowly but surely been divested from essential humanity by consistent abuse of individual dignity by the fanaticism all around, and the impossible living conditions in the country at the time. What is important for us is the question, is Manipur heading the same direction? From evidences all around us, it does seem to be so. The all pervading violence has gone far beyond sane limits. Even when there is no overt mayhem, the undercurrents still spell nothing but violence. Nobody is free to be himself or herself. The uneasy and uncanny sense of being watched and monitored has come to intimidate practically everybody into not just silence, but also to be zombies with no independent will. They act as they believe they are expected to only. They also are increasingly, though unconsciously, being forced into shrinking into their individual shells. Look at the current state of home architecture for instance. Walk into any middleclass home in Imphal and what would be noticed is a disturbing sense of insecurity the ordinary citizenry are suffering from. With the exception of a few, most live in homes that resemble a jail, with iron gratings on the portico and every other possible places intruders could barge in from; windows are fortified with sturdy iron bars etc. As a thumb rule, the richer the owner of the house, the more would be the unflattering resemblance his house has to a jail. Those who can afford it would for instance gift themselves with 12-feet or more high retaining walls all around their homesteads. Steel fortified gates which are always kept tightly shut would also greet visitors to these homes. Probably most would say this is the need of the hour for the times are bad. But what most far too often fail to question is, what would be the psychology of children growing up in such an oppressive atmosphere. Undoubtedly their minds and aspirations would also have been skewed as Amir Jan’s. Redemption from such a state of mind would also undoubtedly not be easy. Amir Jan found his, but the unasked question is how many other of his peers would not have.

When will Manipur ever become an open society “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”? A lot of commitment from all sane thinkers of our society is essential for this to come about, and it is time they all began thinking the situation is desperate. Otherwise, the spiral of insanity that the society is plunging into would touch a critical point of no return. The values of our society are already distorted monstrously and nothing absolutely nothing remains as sacrosanct space revered by all. It is not a surprise at all that recent news report in local dailies announced there has been a sharp rise in mental illness in the state in recent years. The situation must not be allowed to sink any further, lest whatever sanity which managed to survive too would be gone, and like in Amir Jan’s story, in the hunt for false notions of achievements and success, people begin to sell even their own souls as well as those of their near and dear ones.

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