Ibobi ministry expanded with eight Ministers
Imphal, April 28 2012: Along with the swearing in of eight Ministers today portfolios to be held by them have also been officially declared this evening.
The keenly awaited post of Deputy Chief Minister was, however, kept in abeyance with the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh insisting that the second highest post would automatically take shape according to necessity.
The prolonged vacuum in the Congress ministry finally culminated with the formal induction of the eight old and fresh faces out of 42 Congress legislators elected to the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly.
The CM calling on the Governor Gurbachan Jagat at 11 am today preceded the official swearing in ceremony of the eight Ministers at the Durbar hall of the Raj Bhavan at 4 pm.
While six of the Ministers had already been members of the assembly in the previous or past terms, Patsoi AC MLA Km AK Mirabai and Lilong AC legislator Md Abdul Nasir would be Ministers on their debut.
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In a slight twist to the report carried in this daily about the list of Ministers likely to be enlisted for the swearing in ceremony, Dr Kh Ratan Kumar of Mayang imphal AC replaced Ksh Biren of Lamlai AC.
Apart from Department of Personnel, Finance, Power, MAHUD, Minor Irrigation, Science & Technology and Tourism departments already held by the Chief Minister, portfolios not allocated to the 11 Ministers, continue to remain with the CM.
According to information received here, former speaker and Singjamei AC MLA I Hemochandra will be the Minister of PHE and Labour & Employment with the keenly watched Works portfolio going to Dr Kh Ratan Kumar along with the Transport Department.
New faces AK Mirabai and Md Abdul Nasir have been entrusted with the Social Welfare and Cooperation, and Agriculture and Fisheries portfolios respectively.
Out of two hill district representatives inducted in the O ibobi Singh Ministry today Francis Ngajokpa of Tadubi AC has been allocated Rural Development & Panchayati Raj along with Economics and Statistics departments while Irrigation and Flood Control along with Printing and Stationery would be the prerogative of Saitu AC MLA Ngamthang Haokip.
Commerce & Industries, Sericulture and Veterinary & Animal Husbandry would be the concern of Bishnupur AC MLA Govindas Konthoujam while Heirok AC representative M Okendro Singh will be in charge of Education and Consumer Affairs, food & Public Distribution departments.
It may be mentioned that the first phase expansion had seen the induction of Nungba AC MLA Gaikhangam, Jiribam's Th Debendra Singh and Churachandpur AC MLA Phungzathang.
Gaikhangam is the Minister of Home, Horticulture & Soil Conservation, and Tribal Affairs and Hills while Debendra holds the portfolios of Revenue, Law & Legislative Affairs and Forests & Environment.
Phungzathang had been assigned the tasks of Health & Family Welfare, General Administrative Department, and Common Area Development Authority.
during the oath of office and secrecy administered by the Governor to the eight new Ministers, Dr Ratan Kumar and AK Mirabai avowed in Manipuri while the remaining six took the vow in English.
Interacting with the newspersons after the swearing in ceremony, Chief Minister O Ibobi said the post of Deputy CM will remain vacant till a suitable situation demands appointment of the incumbent.
Even though the expansion effected today had no representation from Ukhrul and Chandel districts, the CM maintained that the portfolio allocation was based on community and district delegacy with equal consideration on accommodating minorities and women representatives.
Regretting that a number of Ministers who performed appreciably well in the previous term had to be dropped from the present ministry, he also explained that providing opportunity to the new incumbent was one of the factors for the ministry composition.
To apparently calm frayed nerves among some senior MLAs, the CM announced that process is on for appointing Parliamentary Secretaries.
The CM also affirmed that top priority of his third term in office would be on improving the power supply situation, adequate provision of drinking water, road and bridge development and improvement of the law and order situation.
The swearing in ceremony was also attended by former Ministers K Ranjit and TN Haokip.
Source: The Sangai Express
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State ranks lowest in drinking water provision
Imphal, April 28 2012: Manipur has scored lowest among North East States in providing drinking water to students and separate toilet facility to girl students at schools.
According to the provisional Annual Status of Education Report (ASER Rural) 2011 for North East States released today at ICM, only 6.8 per cent of the State students enjoy drinking water facility in their schools while 10.5 per cent of the schools have separate toilets for girl students.
Mizoram has scored best with 71 per cent of the students of the State enjoying safe drinking water in their schools.
Nagaland has highest number of separate toilets for girl schools with 89.7 per cent of the schools providing the facility.
It is mentioned in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 that safe drinking water and separate toilet facilities must be provided in the schools.
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura scored 58.1 per cent, 68.6 per cent, 6.8 per cent, 9.9 per cent, 71 per cent, 23.4 per cent, 67.6 per cent and 40.2 per cent respectively in terms of providing drinking water.
In Arunachal Pradesh, out of the total 27.2 per cent of the schools providing toilet, 19.2 per cent of the schools have separate toilets for girls.
In Assam, 36.8 per cent of the schools have toilets and 27.4 per cent have separate toilets for girls.
In Manipur, 35 per cent of the total schools have toilets while only 15.3 per cent of the schools have toilets for girls.
In Meghalaya, 24.4 per cent of the schools have toilets while 18.6 per cent schools have separate facility for girls.
In Mizoram, 52.1 pc of the schools have toilets while 33.1 per cent of the schools have separate toilets for girls.
In Nagaland, 49.7 per cent of the schools have separate toilet facility for girls out of its 60 per cent of schools which have toilets.
In Sikkim, 31.6 per cent of the schools have toilets while 27.8 per cent of the schools have separate facility for the girls.
In Tripura, 30 per cent of the schools have toilets and 21.9 per cent of the schools have separate toilets for girls.
ASER (Rural) has been being brought out since 2005.Survey was conducted in all the districts, except Senapati, of the State for the preparation of the report.
Speaking at the report releasing function, Ashok Mutum of ASER Centre, New Delhi, said that the objective of ASER was to find out the rate of attendance of children in schools at the age group of 5 to 16 years and mode of teaching.
It was also to assess whether the students are getting the facilities provided by the Government through Right to Education Act.
Source: The Sangai Express
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Tiddim bandh from Apr 29 midnight
LAMKA, April 28: The All Lamka Taxi Owners Society, ALTOS has called an indefinite passenger services bandh along the route from the midnight of April 29 as a means to pressurise the state government to solve the deadlock between the Bus owners operating along the road and the society and the issue regarding provision of proper parking site for its members at the Nitaipat Chuthek as dropping and picking centres for passengers and proper service timing.
Stating this in a statement, the ALTOS further stated that it has made its demand known to the government through various means including sending representation to all concern authorities at various points of time including to the Chief Minister, however all their issues were put in a cold storage due to which the society has been constrained to take up extremes steps like the bandh.
The statement has said they will not tolerate any violation of the bandh this time around and incase of any eventualities it will be sole responsibility of the concern individuals.
The society will however, exempt from the purview of the bandh important public services like medical, press/media, water supply, electricity and educational, institutions.
Source: Imphal Free Press/ Kaimuanthang
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ZHRF condemns alleged torture
Lamka, April 28 2012: The Zomi Human Rights Foundation has condemned in the strongest term what it alleged was a torture meted out to three indigenous residents of the district on April 20 while they were engaged in the age old traditional practice of hunting in the jungle.
Identifying the victims as Tualkhenmang, 36; Thangkhogin, 38; and Thangzakai, 36; all residents of B Kalzang village, the foundation said the incident occurred at about 3.30 pm at a distance of about 65 kms from the local police station.
"The three victims were all indigenous people, who earned their livelihood through the aged old traditional practice of hunting and roaming around in the jungle looking for whatever resources the land provides for one's sustenance," it maintained and added that they were encircled, nabbed and inhumanly tortured on the false pretext that they were spying for the Indian Security forces or the indigenous tribal insurgency group.
The manner in which the torture was meted out by the non State actors could be counted as terrorist act in spite of insurgency.
The foundation called upon the Manipur valley based non State actors to abstain and cease torture to indigenous people in every hill district of Manipur and in the cross border areas of Indo-Burma.
Source: The Sangai Express
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'Kidney transplant facility soon at Shija'
Imphal, April 28 2012: It is good news for kidney patients in the state who need to replace their kidneys but could not afford the cost of going to other states for the matter as the facility of kidney transplant is coming soon in the state.
Keeping in view of the increasing cases kidney failure in the state and problems facing by the people of the state in transplanting kidneys, the Shija Hospitals and Research Institute will soon be installing a facility for kidney transplant in the hospital to address the inconveniences of the people of the state.
The infomation was disclosed by Senior Consultant of General and Laparoscopic Surgery Dr S Somokanta today during the launching of Flexible Ureterorenoscopic facility in the hospitals.
Speaking on the occasion, he further disclosed that an Oxygen manufacturing unit is also on the card under Public Private Partnership (PPP) project with the state government and North Eastern Council (NEC).
People who have BPL and Health Insurance Card can now undergo treatment for their eyes in the hospitals.
Besides, an exclusive blood bank was also opened in the hospitals, he said.
The newly installed Calculase II-Holmium Laser and Flexible Ureterorenoscope can now destroy calculus in the kidney by inserting a tube through the urinary track.
It will cost from Rs 20,000 to 30,000 for a surgery and will take only two days in the hospital.
Health Minister Phungjathang Tonsing who was the Chief Guest of the function said that doctors and nurses in the state need to study the medical system in other developed countries for advanced medical facility.
It is not always their skills but also the diligent nature which make them better than others.
Nurses should also change their attitude towards the patient and pay more attention in nursing the patients which will increased the quality of a hospital, he said.
Medical Superintendent, Shija Hospitals and Rsearch Institute Dr Jugindro was the president of the function.
Director, State Health Services Dr Sh Surchandra also attended the function as Guest of Honour.
Source: Hueiyen News Service
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