Friday, November 30, 2007

Manipur Hot News | Everything normal, insists Ibobi, ‘Centre has not indicated any change in leadership’ | BT Flyover to open today, Bheigyachandra

Irom Sharmila nominated for NDTV Indian of the Year

The Imphal Free Press

Imphal, Nov 29: The `Iron Lady of Manipur` Irom Sharmila Chanu has been nominated as NDTV Indian of the Year with the Indian Soldier also as one of the contenders under Unsung Heroes category.

Irom Sharmila was shortlisted among the high profile people of India in an opinion poll launched by The Life Insurance Corporation of India (L.I.C) launched in collaboration with popular channel NDTV.

Interestingly, her name was shortlisted along with the Indian Soldier under the Unsung Heroes category. Irom Sharmila has been fasting since November 4, 2002 demanding repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958, the so-called draconian Act exercised by the Indian Army.

The other categories of nomination include Leader, Business, Sports, Cinema, Global Indian and Music with high profile personalities like the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Nobel laureate RK Pachouri of IPCC, Baichung Bhutia, Sania Mirza etc.

The public will decide who is the most deserving of the Indian of the Year title by casting votes through SMS, telephone and online voting at http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/poll_ioy2007.aspx.

To vote for Irom Sharmila one can sms I 29 to 56388 or dial 5056388 or visit above website.

==================================

Everything normal, insists Ibobi, ‘Centre has not indicated any change in leadership’

IMPHAL, Nov 29: Chief minister O Ibobi Singh has clarified that there is no question of slackening of government work or file processing in various departemnts of the state relating to development activities on account of the ongoing internal crisis in the Congress.

The chief minister, in a hastily summoned press conference this evening at his official bungalow maintained that there has been no impact on the affairs of state administration on account of the current move by the dissident MLAs camping at Delhi to unseat him.

The functioning of the government is progressing smoothly and normally under his leadership as regards development activities and the maintenance of law and order, he maintained.

The chief minister also lamented that unrestrained reporting in various local dailies and unfounded allegations against the SPF ministry from the rebel MLAs during the last one month has created major confusion in the mind of the general public.

He said it was very unfortunate that through such immature statements, the rebel MLAs have been attempting to create loss of people’s confidence in the Congress in the state.

The CM said it is true that there is serious problem of law and order in the state, but asserted that this problem was not born recently during his tenure as chief minister. He added that his government had initiated serious attempts to solve the problem.

He also maintained that the critical allegations of large scale corruption and acquisition of disproportionately large property on his part after he became chief minister were untrue, and invited anyone to vet his properties at any time through legal avenues.

The CM went on to say that the public will get to see the physical fruits of the development activities of the SPF government by March next year.

He also observed that the new government began functioning on March 7 this year, and expansion of the ministry took till July 2, it has had only four months to actually take up work.

However, with the sincerity of the existing council of ministers, various major projects and schemes have now been able to be completed, and many development activities in both hills and valley districts are in full swing, he said.

He reiterated that there is no question of negligence in the plans and policies taken up with regard to pursuit of development activities and controlling the law and order situation.

Answering queries from mediapersons, the CM said there was no question of special consideration for the people of Thoubal in job opportunities, particularly the appointment of IRB personnel. All appointments were made in accordance with norms, he claimed.

The CM also disclosed that law and legislative affairs minister Th Debendra, and veterinary minister DD Thaisii had both informed him before leaving for Delhi on their personal medical grounds.

He expressed confidence that all the MLAs currently camping at Delhi will eventually return and work for the interest of the people of Manipur. He said a return to normalcy in the state Congress was expected soon as there is indication from the Congress leadership that the present SPF government should be retained.

A question on whether action would be taken against the rebels MLAs for violating party discipline by appointing spokespersons and issuing press statements on their own however went unanswered.

Altogether 12 MLAs and ministers were present during the press conference, beside the chief minister, namely Th Lokeshwor, L Jayentakumar, E Dwijamani, Dr Kh Loken, Md Allauddin, Speaker S Budhichandra, Phungzathang Tonsing, N Biren, K Ranjit, TN Haokip, E Kunjeshwor and N Loken.

Md Allauddin, and Phungzathang, who had been named among the dissidents in some media reports, clarified that that they were not among the rebels. Even if claims had been made by the dissidents in this connection, no one bothered to verify this with them, they complained.

E Dwijamani said he had met Y Surchandra and M Hemanta during a recent trip to Delhi, but they did not broach the subject of his joining their camp.

==============================================

BT Flyover to open today, Bheigyachandra statue in decay

By : A Staff Reporter 11/30/2007 1:01:30 AM

IMPHAL, Nov 29: After a delay of two years and five months the Bir Tikendrajit flyover on the BT road will be opened for traffic tomorrow - though everything is not yet complete.

The actual target of the completion of the first ever flyover in the state was June 2005 but due to continuing delays suffered in the construction work the target became more and more remote.

Even though the main part of the bridge is complete, other works like pavements on the side of the bridge and RCC fencing at the narrow portion of the bridge is yet to be completed and hectic works were witnessed today.

Most shockingly, the condition of the statue of Maharaj Bhagyachandra taming a wild elephant is deteriorating because of the flyover. However none seems bother about the fate of this historical monument.

Since the start of the construction work of the flyover the condition of the statue, which celebrates an historical moment of Manipur’s history, has been dismal.

The broken hand of Bhagyachandra and a missing tusk and broken tail of the elephant on the statue had been reported in the press a long time ago but no repair work has been initiated.

Concerned people are even worried that the government might remove the statue altogether.

Work on the Bir Tikendrajit flyover project, which is aimed at easing traffic along the main thoroughfare of the BT road, had suffered repeated disturbances during the course of its construction work undertaken by the National Building Construction Corporation. Workers of Buildworth, a construction company are engaged in the project under the NBC Corporation.

On many instances, workers engaged in the project disappeared from their camp site on receiving threats from various unwanted elements.

The disturbances in the construction were compounded with the delay in the arrival of construction materials caused by the bandhs and blockades which are experienced aplenty in the state.

Interestingly the construction works on certain instances were done by detailing security personnel but they could not effectively deal with the disturbances faced by the workers.

More than a hundred labourers were engaged in the construction work by camping at the site itself before the sudden stoppage of work during the course of construction which started four years back after enclosing the entire portion from Johnstone School to Uripok Canteen Leirak.

It may be mentioned that the ground work for the construction was started since March 2003. The original date for completion of the project was fixed as March 2005, but later the target was refixed as June 2005.

The chief minister, O Ibobi Singh, had on several occasions stressed on his desire for the completion of the project within the targeted time. He even planned to inaugurate the flyover before the election to the 9th state Assembly with the Prime Minister or Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi as the chief guest.

But despite the best efforts of the government, the inauguration function was not held and since then, after a delay of one year, the government has finally decided to open the flyover to traffic.

Traffic regulation:-In view of the commissioning of the BT Flyover tomorrow and opening to traffic, the commissioner, state transport, H Imocha Singh, has announced temporary regulations for regulating traffic on the flyover.

As per the regulations, no heavy and medium vehicles would be allowed to ply across the fly-over betwen 7 am to 7 pm.

Light motor vehicles and two wheelers are allowed to ply across the flyover subject to the condition that they should not park either alongside the flyover or use any lane as corridor facility after crossing.

No pedestrian, hand-pulled cart or thella, bullock cart, rickshaw and other slow moving non-motorised mode of traffic are allowed to cross the BT flyover.

U-turns are only allowed at the round about in front of Kangla western gate, and at the road intersection of Uripok Canteen Road.

Parking at the open places available beneath the BT flyover is also prohibited.

=============================================

Opposition MLAs come out in support of Ibobi?
By : A Staff Reporter 11/30/2007 12:59:54 AM

IMPHAL, Nov 29: A group of 10 Opposition MLAs left Imphal for New Delhi Thursday in what a highly reliable source said was an attempt to campaign against the regime change move to the Congress high command.

However, the same could not be immediately confirmed as none of the MLAs could be contacted before they left the state capital. However, a local paper has reported that they were going there to convince the Congress leaders at the Centre not to replace O Ibobi as the chief minister.

Government chief whip T Mangibabu also flew to New Delhi today on the same flight taken by the 10 MLAs from the hill constituencies including six MLAs backed by the United Naga Council.

The six UNC backed independent MLAs in the team are Awangbow Newmai, K Raina, Morung Makunga, Danny Shaiza, M Thrii and Dr. Kashim Ruivah. The other MLAs are Thangminlen Kipgen, V Hangkhalian, Doukhomang Kipgen and Thongkholun.

The MLAs will be lobbying with the Congress high command not to remove O Ibobi Singh from the chief ministership, a reliable source said. The source added that they will call on the Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister and request them not to replace Singh.

While convincing the Congress leaders they will put before them a brief report of the development works taken up in the hill areas and others planned to be taken up by the present government under the leadership of chief minister O Ibobi.

Another source said that the independent MLAs were in favour of Ibobi as they were always against the Rajya Sabha MP Rishang Keishing who is in the rebel camp.

The observers also opined that their effort may not make much impact on the move of the rebel Congress MLAs as they were not part of the ruling group.
On the other hand, no further developments regarding the rebel MLAs campaign was reported today.

=====================================================

Myanmar refuses to undertake Indo-Myanmar border fencing
By : Thingbaijam Dhamen/IFP 11/30/2007 12:58:46 AM

IMPHAL, Nov 29: The proposed erection of fencing at the international border with Myanmar is delayed as the Myanmar government has not given the green signal to India’s proposal stating that the “issue needs higher level policy decision,” an official said Thursday.

The Manipur government wanted to commence construction of pucca fencing at the Moreh sector (between border pillar 79 and 81), the first phase of border fencing after the monsoon season this year.

For this, it proposed to the Centre to inform the Myanmar government through diplomatic channel well before the reconnaissance survey and trade cut, RSTC work is undertaken.

However, except the reply that the issue still needs higher level policy decision, the Myanmar government gave no further comment in this regard, the source disclosed.

Certain sections of the Indo-Myanmar border in Kabow valley are still to be demarcated. They are Tuivang-Molcham area between border pillars 64 to 68, Tamu-Moreh area between BPs 75 to 79 and Choro-Khnou area between BPs 88 to 95.

In an effort to initiate and negotiate with the Myanmar government on the issue, the Union ministry of external affairs provided the state government three alternatives as early as September 2002.

The state government expressed its willingness to negotiate on the basis of adjustment of 1.43 square miles in the Choro Khunou sector without transfer of any Indian village in favour of Myanmar and a gain of 0.03 square miles at Moreh border pillar 77 to India.

The state government said that India can seek more adjustments in its favour in Moreh area by further moving BP-77 beyond the 250 yards mark eastward. The same was also communicated to the ministry of home affairs on August 21, 2004.

The Manipur government, exploring the continued security crisis faced on the international border and feeling the urgent need for solving the same insisted that New Delhi bring an agreement between the two countries for fixing mutually acceptable boundaries between the two countries which has been accepted in principle.

There is an urgent need of the state to tackle its security problems, Manipur government said while requesting the Central government to reach an agreement with Myanmar government on the issue so that the work of border fencing could commence soon, it added.

Fencing of the border will be an important step in checking the occurrence of violent incidents such as the one which took place in Moreh in June this year when several people involved in killings crossed the border into Myanmar after committing the crimes.

The government of India agreed to the construction of pucca border fence at a 10 km stretch at Tamu-Moreh area between BP 79 and BP 81 and entrusted the Border Road Organization, BRO for the construction work.

Authorities instructed the BRO to take up the work for RSTC for the pucca border fence by leaving a corridor of 10 metres from the international boundary considering the urgency of the works.

Before starting the work on the ground, the matter was discussed at the directors level meeting between the survey departments of India and Myanmar held at Tamu (Myanmar) on March 3 and 4, 2006.

The Myanmarese side had, however, objected to the proposed marking even though the work was to be done well within the Indian side of the existing boundary. They had contended that joint survey was needed as the international boundary was passing through hilly terrain.

Again, in the 6th meeting between heads of survey departments of India and Myanmar held in New Delhi on November 27 and 28, 2006, the Myanmarese side stated that while it was willing to consider RSTC works between BP-80 and 81, it was not ready for the segment between BP 79 and 80 even though they accepted that the coordinates of BP-79 were undisputed.

Several meetings at different levels between the representatives of the two countries have taken place over the last few years. Though in the meetings, the India government has made definite proposal, the Myanmar government has not made a decision for settlement of the boundary, officials here said.

In the 15th sectoral level meeting held at Gangtok, Sikkim on May 29 and 30, 2007, the Indian side requested for response from the Myanmar government to the Indian proposal for settling the alignment of nine border pillars submitted at the 5th meeting of heads of survey departments of the two countries held in September, 2004.

The Myanmarese side had stated that there were no developments on this subject as it was still being studied by the Myanmar government. In the same meeting, the Indian side had also made it clear to the delegation that the RSTC work proposed to be done by India between BP-79 and 81 had been discussed at the 14th sectoral submit in May 2006, at the foreign office consultation held in June 2006, at the 6th meeting of the surveyor generals of the two countries held in November, 2006 and also at the 13th national level meeting between the two countries held in February 2006.

The Indian side clarified that RSTC involved only reconnaissance survey and trace cutting and does not involve any construction works and that there should not be any objection from Myanmar to the proposed RSTC.

Source: www.ifp.co.in

No comments:

Post a Comment