By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Aug 19 : In a sensational development, at least 15 suspected Al Qaeda activists have been rounded up from Moreh on the Indo-Myanmar border by personnel of 24 Assam Rifles on August 17 at about 3.15 am.
Speaking to The Sangai Express a highly placed source said that the suspected Al Qaeda operatives were arrested from a house located at Moreh Ward number 3, Old Post Office line.
The spokesman of Assam Rifles, Colonel LM Pant however said that his office has not received any official inputs on the matter.
Commanding officer of the 24 Assam Rifles, based at Moreh, Colonel Vikash Saini refused to pass any comments when contacted by The Sangai Express today evening.
However a source close to the Defence establishment at New Delhi, when contacted by The Sangai Express today evening, confirmed the report of the arrest of Al Qaeda operatives at the border town but did not give any details
The 24 Assam Rifles unit based at Moreh functions under the IGAR (South).
Efforts to contact the IG AR, Major General BK Chengappa personally drew blank as he was reportedly engaged in an important meeting when his office was called up this evening.
Colonel GS who received the phone call on behalf of the IG however said that the 15 arrested men are all Myanmarese Muslims. The officer said that they will be handed over to the police tomorrow.
The Colonel said that no links with the Al Qaeda have been established so far and added that they were picked up in the first place because they are foreigners who had entered Indian territory.
To queries, the Colonel said that no significant documents have been recovered from them other than some work permits.
One of the 15 had documents from Thailand, he said and added that they are being interrogated intensively.
The source said that the of the 15 arrested, 10 are from the Arakan region on the Bangladesh-Myanmar region, while the other five are from Bangladesh.
During interrogation, 5/6 of the arrested persons are reported to have admitted that they are Al Qaeda operatives.
All the arrested were brought to Imphal the following day on August 18.
The fifteen suspected Al Qaeda are being interrogated at the highest level, said the source and added that so far they have managed to seize passports, a card issued by a competent authority of the Government of Manipur identifying them as businessmen as another card enabling them to move across the border as traders.
US dollars, the amount of which has not yet been specified were also seized from them, said the source further.
The source informed that some of the detained persons have admitted that they were attached to finance and publicity wings of the global terrorist network, Al Qaeda.
The 6 persons who have admitted that they are Al Qaeda activists have been identified as Md Hussain (40), Md Nasim (50), Md Abdullah (20), Md Rehman (26), Md Zunided (17) and Md Rohit (16).
All of them are under close scrutiny.
Significantly three cadres of the Laskar-E-Taiba originally from Manipur were arrested from Delhi some time back.
The official version of the arrest may come after some days.
C-in-C of new outfit held at Silchar : Troops of 57 Mountain Division operating in Cachar area arrested the S/S commander-in-chief of the newly floated outfit, christened United Bengal Revolutionary Army on August 17 at Silchar in Assam, said a statement issued by the PIB (Defence Wing) today evening.
Weapons and incriminating documents were also recovered from his possession said the statement and added that the ultra has been handed over to Silchar police station.
The militant is identified as Sujal Roy alias Sujal Sharma.
The arms recovered included on .22 revolver, one magazine of 9 mm pistol, one Chinese made grenade and six rounds of 9 mm calibre ammunition.
---------------------------------------
Manipur Govt Personal Liability Act
Ex-YAS official to face music
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Aug 19 : Close on the heels of serving a show cause notice on former Secretary in-charge of Board of Secondary Education, Manipur seeking explanation on why action should not be initiated against him in connection with irregularities in appointment of some employees on contract basis and the amount of the salary given deducted from his salary, the High Powered Committee headed by the Chief Secretary as the Chairman has also served a similar notice on a former Director of Youth Affairs and Sports .
The show cause notices have been served in line with the Manipur Government Servant Personnel Liability Act.
The show cause notice to the former Director of Youth Affairs and Sports was served after recording the statements of the officials of the Departments in connection with misutilisation (not allowing to go to their place of posting) of 18 Physical Education Teachers (PETs), disclosed a reliable source to The Sangai Express.
The former Director has also been asked to explain as to why the total amount of two months’ salaries given to the PETs should not be recovered from him to reimburse the same to the Government, the source added.
The source speculated the possibility of involvement of some Ministers and MLAs in the case and said a Committee with Chief Minister as the Chairman would decide on the nature of the penalty to be awarded to the Ministers and the MLAs if they were found involved in the case.
Under the Act, the High Powered Committee has also given necessary instruction for recovering a sum of around Rs 7 lakhs paid by Tribal Development Corporation as advance payment to a private firm from its Executive Engineer, the source further disclosed.
The Committee has also been discussing the action to be taken up in connection with appointment of more number of teachers than the actual posts approved by the State Cabinet in the schools under the District Councils, the source said.
----------------------------------
ATSUM stir suspended Understanding on Mayek reached
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Aug 19: Following an understanding with the State Government, the proposed general strike of 12 hours called by ATSUM tomorrow in pursuit of their various demands and economic blockade on National Highways have been called off temporarily.
Speaking to reporters today at its Old Lambulane office, ATSUM Information and Publicity secretary Joseph R Hmar informed that ATSUM executives have been holding talks with the State Government represented by Education Minister L Jayantakumar, Works Minister K Ranjit, YAS Minister N Biren and TD Minister DD Thasii since August 17.
The proposed stir has been called off in response to the appeal of the ministerial team to give the State Government a week's time. Another round of such meeting was held today morning.
Concerning Meetei Mayek, ATSUM accepted the position of the Government as the latter has already signed an MoU with MEELAL not to impose the Mayek through force or coercion.
The move to call off the proposed stir is motivated by the confidence of the student body in the ministerial team that their demands will be fulfilled even as the State Government failed to give a definite commitment, said Joseph while disclosing ATSUM's willingness to give some more time.
Today's meeting between the two sides centred on construction of NIT in hill district, the issue of Meetei Mayek, shortage of teachers in hill districts, forfeiture of PDS items meant for Churachandpur district and publication of a white paper about the quota system followed before Manipur University was converted to a central university. While disclosing that Churachandpur district has not been receiving PDS items for four months, Joseph insisted on booking the officials and individuals involved in the foul play.
Before MU was upgraded to a central university in 2005, there were only three ST teachers among the total 140 teaching staff and only about 40 ST employees among the total 200 non-teaching staff , said the ATSUM executive.
Saying that ATSUM is aware of non-existence of quota system in the rank of Professors and above, Joseph informed that they have approached the HRD Ministry on the matter and are awaiting a reply. On the other hand, the State Government, despite its assurance, is unable to produce a white paper on the same matter, he lamented.
Regarding shortage of teachers in hill districts, the Ministers mentioned the problem of fake appointments, contract appointments and the subsequent rationa-lisation taken up by the previous Governments, Joseph conveyed.
------------------------
Source: The Sangai Express
IMPHAL, Aug 19 : In a sensational development, at least 15 suspected Al Qaeda activists have been rounded up from Moreh on the Indo-Myanmar border by personnel of 24 Assam Rifles on August 17 at about 3.15 am.
Speaking to The Sangai Express a highly placed source said that the suspected Al Qaeda operatives were arrested from a house located at Moreh Ward number 3, Old Post Office line.
The spokesman of Assam Rifles, Colonel LM Pant however said that his office has not received any official inputs on the matter.
Commanding officer of the 24 Assam Rifles, based at Moreh, Colonel Vikash Saini refused to pass any comments when contacted by The Sangai Express today evening.
However a source close to the Defence establishment at New Delhi, when contacted by The Sangai Express today evening, confirmed the report of the arrest of Al Qaeda operatives at the border town but did not give any details
The 24 Assam Rifles unit based at Moreh functions under the IGAR (South).
Efforts to contact the IG AR, Major General BK Chengappa personally drew blank as he was reportedly engaged in an important meeting when his office was called up this evening.
Colonel GS who received the phone call on behalf of the IG however said that the 15 arrested men are all Myanmarese Muslims. The officer said that they will be handed over to the police tomorrow.
The Colonel said that no links with the Al Qaeda have been established so far and added that they were picked up in the first place because they are foreigners who had entered Indian territory.
To queries, the Colonel said that no significant documents have been recovered from them other than some work permits.
One of the 15 had documents from Thailand, he said and added that they are being interrogated intensively.
The source said that the of the 15 arrested, 10 are from the Arakan region on the Bangladesh-Myanmar region, while the other five are from Bangladesh.
During interrogation, 5/6 of the arrested persons are reported to have admitted that they are Al Qaeda operatives.
All the arrested were brought to Imphal the following day on August 18.
The fifteen suspected Al Qaeda are being interrogated at the highest level, said the source and added that so far they have managed to seize passports, a card issued by a competent authority of the Government of Manipur identifying them as businessmen as another card enabling them to move across the border as traders.
US dollars, the amount of which has not yet been specified were also seized from them, said the source further.
The source informed that some of the detained persons have admitted that they were attached to finance and publicity wings of the global terrorist network, Al Qaeda.
The 6 persons who have admitted that they are Al Qaeda activists have been identified as Md Hussain (40), Md Nasim (50), Md Abdullah (20), Md Rehman (26), Md Zunided (17) and Md Rohit (16).
All of them are under close scrutiny.
Significantly three cadres of the Laskar-E-Taiba originally from Manipur were arrested from Delhi some time back.
The official version of the arrest may come after some days.
C-in-C of new outfit held at Silchar : Troops of 57 Mountain Division operating in Cachar area arrested the S/S commander-in-chief of the newly floated outfit, christened United Bengal Revolutionary Army on August 17 at Silchar in Assam, said a statement issued by the PIB (Defence Wing) today evening.
Weapons and incriminating documents were also recovered from his possession said the statement and added that the ultra has been handed over to Silchar police station.
The militant is identified as Sujal Roy alias Sujal Sharma.
The arms recovered included on .22 revolver, one magazine of 9 mm pistol, one Chinese made grenade and six rounds of 9 mm calibre ammunition.
---------------------------------------
Manipur Govt Personal Liability Act
Ex-YAS official to face music
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Aug 19 : Close on the heels of serving a show cause notice on former Secretary in-charge of Board of Secondary Education, Manipur seeking explanation on why action should not be initiated against him in connection with irregularities in appointment of some employees on contract basis and the amount of the salary given deducted from his salary, the High Powered Committee headed by the Chief Secretary as the Chairman has also served a similar notice on a former Director of Youth Affairs and Sports .
The show cause notices have been served in line with the Manipur Government Servant Personnel Liability Act.
The show cause notice to the former Director of Youth Affairs and Sports was served after recording the statements of the officials of the Departments in connection with misutilisation (not allowing to go to their place of posting) of 18 Physical Education Teachers (PETs), disclosed a reliable source to The Sangai Express.
The former Director has also been asked to explain as to why the total amount of two months’ salaries given to the PETs should not be recovered from him to reimburse the same to the Government, the source added.
The source speculated the possibility of involvement of some Ministers and MLAs in the case and said a Committee with Chief Minister as the Chairman would decide on the nature of the penalty to be awarded to the Ministers and the MLAs if they were found involved in the case.
Under the Act, the High Powered Committee has also given necessary instruction for recovering a sum of around Rs 7 lakhs paid by Tribal Development Corporation as advance payment to a private firm from its Executive Engineer, the source further disclosed.
The Committee has also been discussing the action to be taken up in connection with appointment of more number of teachers than the actual posts approved by the State Cabinet in the schools under the District Councils, the source said.
----------------------------------
ATSUM stir suspended Understanding on Mayek reached
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Aug 19: Following an understanding with the State Government, the proposed general strike of 12 hours called by ATSUM tomorrow in pursuit of their various demands and economic blockade on National Highways have been called off temporarily.
Speaking to reporters today at its Old Lambulane office, ATSUM Information and Publicity secretary Joseph R Hmar informed that ATSUM executives have been holding talks with the State Government represented by Education Minister L Jayantakumar, Works Minister K Ranjit, YAS Minister N Biren and TD Minister DD Thasii since August 17.
The proposed stir has been called off in response to the appeal of the ministerial team to give the State Government a week's time. Another round of such meeting was held today morning.
Concerning Meetei Mayek, ATSUM accepted the position of the Government as the latter has already signed an MoU with MEELAL not to impose the Mayek through force or coercion.
The move to call off the proposed stir is motivated by the confidence of the student body in the ministerial team that their demands will be fulfilled even as the State Government failed to give a definite commitment, said Joseph while disclosing ATSUM's willingness to give some more time.
Today's meeting between the two sides centred on construction of NIT in hill district, the issue of Meetei Mayek, shortage of teachers in hill districts, forfeiture of PDS items meant for Churachandpur district and publication of a white paper about the quota system followed before Manipur University was converted to a central university. While disclosing that Churachandpur district has not been receiving PDS items for four months, Joseph insisted on booking the officials and individuals involved in the foul play.
Before MU was upgraded to a central university in 2005, there were only three ST teachers among the total 140 teaching staff and only about 40 ST employees among the total 200 non-teaching staff , said the ATSUM executive.
Saying that ATSUM is aware of non-existence of quota system in the rank of Professors and above, Joseph informed that they have approached the HRD Ministry on the matter and are awaiting a reply. On the other hand, the State Government, despite its assurance, is unable to produce a white paper on the same matter, he lamented.
Regarding shortage of teachers in hill districts, the Ministers mentioned the problem of fake appointments, contract appointments and the subsequent rationa-lisation taken up by the previous Governments, Joseph conveyed.
------------------------
Source: The Sangai Express
