Friday, November 23, 2007

Manipur News | Disturbed area status extended for another year, Cabinet approves police job for slain lady officer’s son

Disturbed area status extended for another year, Cabinet approves police job for slain lady officer’s son

By : A Staff Reporter 11/23/2007 12:58:11 AM

IMPHAL, Nov 22: The state Cabinet, meeting late today has given approval to the extension of disturbed area status in the state for another year, (not including the Imphal municipal area) and has also given assent to the appointment of the only son of child development project officer Rasheswori as a sub-inspector in Manipur police.

The state Cabinet late this evening met at the Cabinet room of the chief minister’s bungalow, with the CM in the chair.

Today’s discussions in the meeting focussed primarily on the law and order situation in the state, sources said.

The meeting approved the induction of Ningtam Saikhom, the only son of Rasheswori Devi, ICDS project officer, Moirang who was murdered by gunmen belonging to the KCP (MC) group on November 14, as a sub-inspector in the Manipur police.

He is to be appointed as sub-inspector by relaxing all rules and regulations that apply including the ban on fresh appointment imposed by the state government in all the departments under it.

Knowledgeable sources adi, all relaxations in respect of age (in case Ningtam happened to be age-barred) and all other requirements, including educational qualification, can be relaxed by the state government under the die-in hardness scheme as and when be applied.

Mention may be made that ICDS project officer, Saikhom Rasheswori Devi, 55, of Haobam Marak in Imphal was shot dead on November 14 in her office room at Moirang in Bishenpur district by gunmen.

The KCP (MC) group, later owned up to the murder through the media.

The dead body of the woman project officer was taken by the family after the state government assured of ex-gratia before her sharda ceremony with all the facilities that can give from the state government side including provision of an appropriate government job to the son of the deceased woman.

In the meantime, the Cabinet also approved to the extension of disturbed area status in the state for another one year from December 1 this year till November 30 of next year, 2008.

However, the status of the area within the Imphal municipality, from where the state government had lifted three year back remain as it is, i.e. the extension of disturbed area status excluded the Imphal municipality area.

The Cabinet also reviewed the law and order situation in the state which has been worsen since the beginning of October last and decided to direct the law enforcing agencies in the state to intensify the counter insurgency operations

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Students union elections marred by abduction, clashes, College principal, RO abducted on poll eve

By : A Staff Reporter 11/23/2007 12:57:18 AM

IMPHAL, Nov 22: The principal of the Modern College, Imphal, along with a lecturer who was acting as returning officer for the students’ union elections of the college scheduled to take place today were abducted by unknown persons yesterday evening from the college premises.

The abduction is believed to be related to the controversy that erupted after a student body imposed a ‘ban’ on the students’ union elections.

As a consequence of the incident, the students union election for Modern College did not take place today, even as college teachers and students staged a sit-in demonstration at the college premises denouncing the kidnapping.

On the other hand, except for a confrontation among rival candidates at the DM College of Science that led to the ransacking of a hostel room, students union elections at most other government and government aided colleges took place peacefully.

Th Nandababu, principal, and Th Rajen, head of geography department of Modern College who was acting as RO of the students election of the college were abducted by around 10 unknown persons yesterday at around 6.45 pm from the college campus.

According to the students of the college, before the kidnappers, who were at least ten in number, claimed themselves to be members of the Manipuri Students Federation, which had imposed a ‘ban’ on the conduct of the elections in the college.

However, MSF president, Th Bomcha has clarified that the student body had nothing to do with the abduction, contending that it may have been done with the intent of besmearing the reputation of the student body.

In the meantime, the returning officer, Th Rajen, was released by his abductors this evening, apparently because he was unwell. On the other hand, the college principal is still to be released, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Earlier today, denouncing the abduction, students and staff of the college staged a sit-in protest in front demanding immediate and un-conditional release of the two teachers.

A written complaint has been made with the Porompat police over the abduction, and the director of education (u) notified, according to college sources.

In the meantime, MSF president, Th Bomcha addressing a press conference, said the MSF had nothing to do with the abduction of the Modern College principal and the RO.

Reiterating that the MSF had ‘banned’ the conduct of the elections at Modern College for defying the norms that it had set out for conducting college student union elections, the student leader said none of the candidates were qualified, and further charged that the attendance records of the contesting candidates had been manipulated.

While demanding a public clarification from those responsible for such manipulation, he demanded that the college election committee should be reconstituted and fresh election process taken up.

Meanwhile, a confrontation erupted at the boys’ hostel of the DM College of Science while the counting of votes of the election of the college was nearing completion at around 3 pm.

The clash took place between the supporters of two general secretary candidates of DM College when the supporters of the losing candidate intruded into room no. 6 of the boys’ hostel at the college campus.

The intruders stormed the room occupied by by two students, Rabikanta and Mohendro and destroyed all the belongings inside the room including their books and clothing.

However, none of the students sustained injury in the confrontation.

The matter subsided after the police who rushed to the spot intervened and brought them under control. A settlement was also brought about between the two sides.

However, police rounded up six people who were allegedly involved or witnessed the incident for taking their statements.

The supporters of the losing candidate charged Rabikanta, who was the election monitoring agent of the rival candidate, of campaigning against the candidate supported by them openly in the hostel in spite of a verbal understanding between them not to do so.

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