Fed Up of UG Demands!
Local councillors to begin pen down strike:
Imphal, Apr 21: Displeased at getting no response despite protests since April 15 against unbearable monetary demands on them by several militant groups and the state government`s silence on the demand for devolution of power, the elected members of the municipal councils and nagar panchayats have decided to intensify their protest with a pen down strike from tomorrow.
The next step will be to tender resignation from the councillorship en-masse, an open letter to the revolutionary groups active in the state, from the secretary of the All Manipur Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat Joint Action Committee stated.
Yesterday also the elected members had threatened to resign on April 28 if the state government did not take up any steps for devolution of power and appropriate action against the militants` demand for diversion of funds released to municipal councils and nagar panchayats.
Meanwhile, even as the agitation is in full swing, an underground organization has called some councillors and asked them to hand over money released for construction of low cost latrines, they said.
The councillors are protesting against the militants` demand for diversion of funds from various schemes implemented by them under the sponsorship of the Centre as well as the state government since April 15 by staging dharna at various parts of the urban areas of the state.
After the sit-in protest was staged at Keishampat Junction on April 15, the councillors carried out protests at various places like Bishenpur Bazar, Mayang Imphal Bazar, Thoubal Bazar and Lamlai Bazar. Today also they staged a protest at Sekmai Bazar.
It would be well aware by all that they are carrying out protest against the unbearable monetary demands served by the underground groups but so far no response is coming up from any of the underground organizations, the open letter said of the JAC said.
As such they would close down all the offices of the councils with the starting of the pen down stir, the letter put down stating that if the stir still has no effect, they would tender resignation en-masse thinking that there is no benefit in having ULBs.
The open letter further said that currently the municipal councils and nagar panchayats were facing monetary demands from various underground organizations.
Currently, the Nambol municipal council has been remaining shut after it was locked up by a militant group in connection with money demands, it said.
On the other hand, for the last many years the ULBs are demanding devolution of powers but the state government is remaining mute without considering the matter.
Councillors are also getting only Rs. 500 to Rs. 800. They could not bear the expenses as elected members of the people, they said.
In reality, the councillors respect the revolutionary groups who are struggling for the motherland and they don`t want to protest against them.
"We really want peace. We don`t want any sort of violence. But any untoward incident to a councillor hurts the sentiments of all equally.
We the ULB members will remain united together forever. We all are elected representatives of the people. We want to keep respect for the people. The protest was carried out as the pressure is beyond tolerable limits," the open letter said
The letter also expressed the councillors` willingness to hold meetings with responsible leaders of the underground organizations and end the controversy in a peaceful manner. The letter finally hoped that the underground groups would give a positive response to holding of dialogue and end the controversy forever.
Mention may be made that alleging that militants are demanding percentage from them and also sometimes beat them up for not meeting the demands, the members of the eight municipal councils, 17 nagar panchayats and one town committee have been carrying out protest since April 15.
Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, Apr 21: Displeased at getting no response despite protests since April 15 against unbearable monetary demands on them by several militant groups and the state government`s silence on the demand for devolution of power, the elected members of the municipal councils and nagar panchayats have decided to intensify their protest with a pen down strike from tomorrow.
The next step will be to tender resignation from the councillorship en-masse, an open letter to the revolutionary groups active in the state, from the secretary of the All Manipur Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat Joint Action Committee stated.
Yesterday also the elected members had threatened to resign on April 28 if the state government did not take up any steps for devolution of power and appropriate action against the militants` demand for diversion of funds released to municipal councils and nagar panchayats.
Meanwhile, even as the agitation is in full swing, an underground organization has called some councillors and asked them to hand over money released for construction of low cost latrines, they said.
The councillors are protesting against the militants` demand for diversion of funds from various schemes implemented by them under the sponsorship of the Centre as well as the state government since April 15 by staging dharna at various parts of the urban areas of the state.
After the sit-in protest was staged at Keishampat Junction on April 15, the councillors carried out protests at various places like Bishenpur Bazar, Mayang Imphal Bazar, Thoubal Bazar and Lamlai Bazar. Today also they staged a protest at Sekmai Bazar.
It would be well aware by all that they are carrying out protest against the unbearable monetary demands served by the underground groups but so far no response is coming up from any of the underground organizations, the open letter said of the JAC said.
As such they would close down all the offices of the councils with the starting of the pen down stir, the letter put down stating that if the stir still has no effect, they would tender resignation en-masse thinking that there is no benefit in having ULBs.
The open letter further said that currently the municipal councils and nagar panchayats were facing monetary demands from various underground organizations.
Currently, the Nambol municipal council has been remaining shut after it was locked up by a militant group in connection with money demands, it said.
On the other hand, for the last many years the ULBs are demanding devolution of powers but the state government is remaining mute without considering the matter.
Councillors are also getting only Rs. 500 to Rs. 800. They could not bear the expenses as elected members of the people, they said.
In reality, the councillors respect the revolutionary groups who are struggling for the motherland and they don`t want to protest against them.
"We really want peace. We don`t want any sort of violence. But any untoward incident to a councillor hurts the sentiments of all equally.
We the ULB members will remain united together forever. We all are elected representatives of the people. We want to keep respect for the people. The protest was carried out as the pressure is beyond tolerable limits," the open letter said
The letter also expressed the councillors` willingness to hold meetings with responsible leaders of the underground organizations and end the controversy in a peaceful manner. The letter finally hoped that the underground groups would give a positive response to holding of dialogue and end the controversy forever.
Mention may be made that alleging that militants are demanding percentage from them and also sometimes beat them up for not meeting the demands, the members of the eight municipal councils, 17 nagar panchayats and one town committee have been carrying out protest since April 15.
Source: The Imphal Free Press