Politics / Manipur

IMPHAL, April 8:The state government is preparing to challenge the ruling by Justice JN Sharma of the Gauhati High Court, which blocked the government decision to terminate 2581 jobs. It is learnt that the government will soon be appealing to a double bench of the same court to have the said order vacated so that it can go ahead with its plan. The responsibility of taking the case forward will be handed over to the newly appointed advocate general, Ashok Potsangbam, sources said. It may be recalled that the state government had made the job termination move in keeping with the 26-point action...

IMPHAL, April 8: Education Minister N Nimai today stated that absence of financial discipline and rationalisation of transfers and posting of teachers are the greatest hurdles in revamping educational set up and ushering in quality education in the state. Speaking to representatives of teachers' organisations and associations from primary to the higher secondary level at his office chamber today, the minister noted with regret that absence of financial discipline in the Education department has greatly hampered the improvement and development of infrastructure in the school. Nimai said the...

IMPHAL, April 7: With no help from the state government and the Centre, the residents of Molcham, Khayang and Yangoulein villages on the Indo-Myanmar border are living under the shadow of threats from the Myanmarese Army. Their immediate concern is the absence of any Indian security forces in the area. Manipur's Molcham valley, which has been embroiled in controversy for the past four decades, was in the news again after the Manipur Human Rights Commission took up a case of alleged torture of Indian villagers by the Myanmarese Army. Situated in Chandel district, Molcham had always been eyed by...

IMPHAL, April 7: Buoyed by the recent ruling of the Supreme Court, which upheld the Speaker's disqualification ruling against MSCP MLA and Agriculture minister Thangmilien Kipgen, Assembly Speaker S Dhananjoy Singh said today that decision on the disqualification proceedings against the seven other MLAs would be decided soon. Mention may be made here that the apex court ruled in favour of the Speaker after a series of litigations. The axe fell on Thangmilien Kipgen on November 17 last year following the disqualification hearing conducted by the Speaker on July 22 last year. The MLA was...

IMPHAL, April 6: The taxation department, government of Manipur is hiding more than it has revealed in matter of collection of sale taxes, according to knowledgeable sources. The department which is mainly entrusted with the duty of collecting sales tax has for unexplained reasons, stopped checking cash books and daily sale proceeds at the shops in the Khwairamband Bazar, the hub of commercial activities in the state, according to the sources. Instead, the resort for the last two years or so has been for the department to merely calculate the tax amount from the statements submitted by the...

IMPHAL, April 5: Manipur Speaker Sapam Dhananjoy has removed the tag of "unattached member" from former Chief Minister W. Nipamacha Singh and six of his followers. The Speaker's order said Nipamacha Singh, M. Kunjo, Kshetri Biren, P. Achou, L. Chandramani, S. Rajen and Samuel Jendai will be treated as full-fledged members of the Manipur State Congress Party. Dhananjoy's sudden decision indicates he wants to remain neutral in the ongoing battle in the MSCP. The MSCP has split into two factions at an organisational level. While one is headed by Union minister of state for food processing...

IMPHAL, April 5: Continuing the series of austerity measures it has initiated to tackle the financial situation, the Radhabinod Koijam decided today to increase power tariff, suspend payment of House Rent Allowance, implement the online lottery scheme, and to set up a state fiscal commission. Revising the Manipur Electricity Supply Annual Regulations 2000, the Cabinet, which met today at 5 pm at the Chief Minister's conference hall, agreed to marginally increase power tariff by 8 paise per unit over the existing rates with effect from June 1 next. The existing power tariff rate is Rs 1.25 per...

IMPHAL, April 4: Several political leaders in Manipur have expressed reservations against Union home minister L.K. Advani's objection to the extension of the unilateral ceasefire with the insurgent groups for another month. The state government had declared an unilateral ceasefire with all rebel outfits for a month in March. The Cabinet subsequently decided to extend the ceasefire for another month as per the recommendation of an all-party meet. But the Union home ministry's objection has now led to the resumption of military operations both by the Army and Assam Rifles. However, the Cabinet...

MOREH, April 4: The border demarcation process by a joint team of the Surveyor General of India, SGI, from Shillong and its Myanmarese counterpart, which began from Moreh form November last reportedly could not resolve boundary disputes around Border Pillars No 101, 98, 66, 51 and 54, in the Manipur sector according to a reliable source here. Manipur sector of the Indo-Myanmar border is 364 km long. Local people in and around Moreh were also not all too pleased that the current demarcation process does not involve any representatives of the Manipur government. It may be recalled the present...

IMPHAL, April 4: The Gauhati High Court Imphal Bench had on March 29 suspended the order of the Principal Secretary, Finance for terminating services of all the employees appointed with effect from Apri1 1, 1999. Justice JN Sharma passed the interim verdict on a petition filed by an association of newly appointed teachers falling under the Autonomous District Council, Churachandpur. The 92 teachers of the association were appointed in June 1999 through a DPC in November 1998. The court viewed that the teachers cannot be terminated as per the order issued by the Principal Secretary on March 19...