Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Imphal, June 16 : As in previous years, decks have been cleared for the observance of the Great June Uprising and to pay homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the sake of safeguarding territorial integrity of Manipur at the Kekrupat Memorial complex on June 18 . In all 18 persons lost their lives in the spontaneous public uprising on June 18, 2001 against the extension of the ceasefire without territorial limits signed between the Government of India and Naga rebel group NSCN (I-M). United Committee Manipur (UCM) which came into being to spearhead the public movement has made necessary preparation for organising the 8th anniversary of the June 18, 2001 Uprising at Kekrupat where the mortal remains of the martyrs have been laid to rest on coming Thursday. Talking to mediapersons at Kekrupat Memorial complex, president of UCM and convenor of The Great June Uprising Observation Committee Yumnamcha Dilipkumar informed that as in previous years the State Government has given i...

NEC mulls on development projects: Imphal: Manipur government representatives who attended the 56th North Eastern Council meeting which concluded on Tuesday at Agartala drew the attention of the council and the Central government to the need for looking into the Look East Policy of the country. They urged all concerned to give a major thrust to the development of the Imphal airport, National Highways-39, 53, 150, Trans Asian Highway, border trading point at Moreh and Jiribam to Tupul railway line, an official source said. In the meeting, Manipur urged for upgradation of the Imphal airport into an international airport with cold storage facilities stating that the airport would soon have night landing facilities. They also urged for improvement of the three national highways which run across the state into four-lane roads for easy flow of heavy vehicular traffic. The state highways and border roads also need to be strengthened and improved to meet trade and commercial requirements, they...

Suggests comprehensive action plan: Imphal, Apr 26: After reviewing the law and order situation of the State with officials of the State Government and members of the Combined Headquarters, the central team led by Union Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar suggested formulating a 'comprehensive action plan' to tackle the problem of insurgency and to check the extortion spree. The law and order situation of the State was studied jointly during a meeting held at the conference hall of Old Secretariat southern block today. Besides the central team which included Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh who were on a two day visit to the State, the meeting was also attended by GOC 3 Corps, GOC 57 Mountain Division, top officials of Assam Rifles, CRPF, intelligence agencies and the State Police Department. Briefing media persons after the review meeting, Union Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar stated that basic purpose of the team's visit to Manipur i...

Meinya takes up rail cause for NE States: New Delhi, Apr 23: Member of Parliament from Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency Dr Thokchom Meinya, has underlined that all the State capitals in the North Eastern states except Dispur, capital of Assam have no rail connection. Though it was a long pending demand to connect all State capitals by trains, it is not yet implemented in the North Eastern region. Dr Meinya urged the Union Minister of Railways Lalu Prasad Yadav to connect the remaining seven State capitals of North East Region by rail without any delay. Participating at the discussion on the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Railways for the year 2008-09 on Thursday last in the Lok Sabha, the Parliamentarian from Manipur stated that the total length of railways in the North Eastern region is about 500 Kms, though the size of the entire North East is one tenth of the whole country. He also pointed out that the British constructed half of the existing rail-lines in the North E...

Police seize truckload of chicks smuggled from Assam: Imphal, Feb 3: With a ban imposed on the import of poultry and poultry products from outside the state in view of the bird flu outbreak in West Bengal, the Patsoi police seized altogether 6120 chicks which were being brought in from Assam along NH-53 on Sunday afternoon. According to reports, the chicks were meant to be delivered to one Huidrom Ramcharan, who runs a chicken meat shop at Kwakeithel bazar. The chicks, packed in 120 baskets, were brought in from Assam, via Jiribam on a Tata DI 207 truck registration no. MN01K-5783 and it was caught by the Patsoi police at around 12:35 pm at Keithelmanbi, on NH-53. The entire load of chicks, along with the vehicle was later handed over by the police to the veterinary department. It may be mentioned, as a precautionary measure against the possibility of spread of bird flu to the state, the state chief secretary, recently issued a notification asking all district DCs as well as all police...

AJFMC alleges disparity in fund allotment: Imphal, Jan 31: The All Joint Forest Management Committee (AJFMC), Tamenglong district, has alleged the existence of imbalance in the allotment of funds under the Central Government's National Bamboo Mission (NBM) in the hill districts of Manipur and urged the concerned Department to take up remedial measures. The AJFMC has alleged that under the NBM, which is implemented through the State Forest Department agency (FDA), there is disparity in the allotment of schemes hectare wise. It pointed out that, out of the total 4000 hectares targeted in the whole State, only 500 hectares have been allotted to the western Tamenglong division though it is considered as the only 'bamboo district' among all hill districts of the State. Out of the 4000 hectares targeted area, 600 hectares have been allotted to the eastern Ukhrul Forest division where no traces of bamboo are seen, it alleged. As per the FDA allotment, the northern Kangpokpi divisi...

'Leader' snubs, rebels fume: Imphal, Jan 27: In what could be a significant gesture, Law and Legislative Affairs Minister Th Debendra who is being projected by the dissident Congress MLAs as their leader has snubbed the rebel camp. With Debendra refusing to heed the call to come to Delhi on Sunday and instead go to Jiribam, the rebel MLAs are literally fuming. In the back drop of the new development, the rebel MLAs have convened an emergency meeting on Monday. Some senior leaders of the dissident group noted that the failure of Thoudam Debendra to respond to the call of the AICC to come to Delhi is tantamount to humiliating and betraying the rebel MLAs. "He will certainly reap the outcome of his act of betrayal very soon," they asserted. The alleged act of Debendra to concede to the reported enticement of the Chief Minister with the portfolio of Finance Minister and various other benefits amount to cheating the people of Manipur, the rebel MLAs fumed. The Law Minister...

State braves boycott, drizzle to celebrate R-Day: Imphal: Boycott call by insurgent outfits and the chill generated by the January rain failed to dampen the spirit of the country's 59th Republic Day celebration as an impressive crowd thronged Kangla Fort to witness the riot of colour on Saturday. The celebration culminated with the Beating of the Retreat programme at 1st Manipur Rifles ground on Sunday afternoon with Governor Dr SS Sidhu gracing the occasion as the chief guest. Prizes to position winning march past contingents, cultural troupes and schools were also distributed by the Governor. Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh took the salute from the march past contingents, which official report put at 64 security forces, NCC and schools, and 14 cultural troupes apart from taleaux of nine departments highlighting acheivements and policy/programme of the Government. Soon after arrival for the function a contingent of Manipur Women Police under the command of Miss Puspanjali (IPS) a...

Work on in full swing: Jiribam, Dec 31: Works on the Jiri-Tupul rail line have been on full swing since November 24 with the survey conducted by the Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) at its final leg. Already land for laying 10 km of the rail track has been acquired by the North East Frontier Railway in Jiribam sub-division. The rest of the land needed for laying the track will be acquired from Tamenglong district. Presently work for a distance of 15 km from Jiribam to Dholakhai is on with three private companies engaged in the said work. The three companies are CC Company, Bharatya Company and Triveni Company. The 15 km, for which work is presently underway, have been divided equally among the three companies, 5 km for each company. Speaking to this correspondent, the Officer-in-charge of CC Company, BM Sharma, said his company has undertaken the works from Jiribam station to Phaitoul covering a distance of 5 km. The construction works include cutting, leveling and b...

Scribe assaulted: Acting president of All Jiribam Working Journalists Union N Priyobrata was severely assaulted by one Mutum Dilip Singh, son of Babatombi Singh of Babapara, near rail crossing on the night of December 29 last. Blaming that no action has been taken despite a complaint on the incident was lodged to the Jiribam police station, the Union has requested the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union for necessary action. According to a statement of the AJWJU, Jiribam, its acting president was beaten up on his way home without any reason and suffered severe injuries at left eye, face and other parts of the body. KCP executes ex-cadre: Deputy Commander of KCP (MTF) Capt Kesho has informed that an ex-cadre of the outfit, identified as Santosh Sharma of Tentha Khabam, has been awarded capital punishment at an adjoining place of Mayang Imphal-Uchiwa at around 8.10 pm on Monday for allegedly swindling party fund. Capt Kesho informed that in 2006, Santosh was punished for his involveme...

Barak Valley Adventure Academy in the offing: Imphal, Dec 29: For the formation of Manipur Levy 2008 to undertake a "historic march of Manipur diaspora", the Barak Valley Adventure Academy will be set up in Bon Tarapur, Cachar in January. The name of Manipur Levy is closely associated with the history of Manipur as it was this same Levy which assembled at Barak Valley under Gambhir and Narsingh and marched on to Manipur to liberate the kingdom from the invading Burmese soldiers at the fag end of Seven Years' Devastation period (1819-26). After about 200 years, the unarmed Manipur Levy 2008 will be constituted together with the Manipuris now settling in Assam and Tripura. The Levy will set out on foot for Kangla from Cachar through Jiribam on December 16 next year. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, chairman of the Bir Tikendrajit Anniversary Celebration Committee and managing trustee of the Tikendrajit Memorial Trust RK Ranendrajit said that after arriving at Kangla, the ...

Public hearing to be reconducted at site: Imphal, Dec 14: Public hearing on the Tipaimukh Hydro-Electricity Power Project for which the foundation stone was laid a year back in 2006 will be reconducted at the project site. According to an official source the public hearing on the environment aspect of the project follows a directive from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The ministry also asked the Manipur government to conduct the public hearing as early as possible at the project site. Mention may be made that many civil organizations based in the state like the Action Committee Against the Tipaimukh Project, ACTIP have been objecting to the construction of the project in Manipur. They are also blaming the authorities for conducting the public hearing at other places and not at the site where the dam is to be constructed. Protesting that a public hearing in Tamenglong district in November 2006 was not conducted in a fair manner, project opposers had also burnt down a government off...

Motor rally denounces crime against women: Imphal, Dec 6: As a part of the forthnight long observation of Violence Against Women, a motor rally was taken out under the aegis of the Women Action for Development (WAD) in Imphal East district on Thursday. Full Story: Commandos gun down UG suspect: Imphal, Dec 6: Imphal West commandos shot dead a suspected underground activist along the road of RIMS Doctors' colony at Lamphel just opposite to RIMS morgue at around 1.45 pm on Thursday. According to a statement issued by SP of Imphal West District Clay Khongsai, acting on a credible information about some suspected PREPAK activists exhorting money from offices located in Lamphel area, commandos of Imphal West District conducted search operation at the said area at around 1.45 pm on Thursday. Full Story: Truck drivers rescued from KLA militants: Imphal, Dec 6: Two truckers who had been detained in the custody of a Kuki militant group since December 2 were rescued safely by a strong team ...