Northeast Platform

Imphal, June 01 2009: A campaign on utilizing money in proper way was conducted at Sheema Theatre, Thoubal Bazar today as a part of ongoing awareness campaign of the National Alliance for Financial Literacy (NEFA) in collaboration with Bank Project, RDO, Lamshang with the assistance from the City Bank Centre. The occasion was graced by chairperson of the Thoubal Municipal Council, Athokpam Ongbi Manjuri as chief guest, programme officer of the Loyalam Bank Project, RDO, Lamshang,, Longjam Sudhirchand and operational officer of the UBI Thoubal Branch RK Sanajaoba attended as guest of honour. Project coordinator of the Loyalam Bank Project, Hemam Ringo and assistant manager, NABART, L Naocha spoke as resource persons of the campaign. Chief guest, Manjuri said, the campaign is mean for the welfare of the people. As women are taking main role in the family maintenance, they should keep the habit of collecting and depositing the left out money. They should also help family by engaging in ha...

Source: Lalmalsawm Sungte * Imphal, June 01 2009: The Hmar National Army (HNA) which claimed to represent the Hmar community has said it will support the Government of India in implementing the controversial Tipaimukh Dam project on the confluence of Tuiruong and Tuivai rivers in Manipur only if their demands are met by the Centre and implementing agencies, among them creation of separate districts for the Hmar people in all northeast States where the community predominantly reside. "The HNA", it said "is willing to employ all means under its disposal to help in implementing the project and at the same time expect the Government of India to meet" their terms and condtitions. In a memorandum (a copy of which is available with Inpui-news&info) submitted to the President of India, Ms Pratibha Patil, on February 7, 2009, the group said that they would not oppose the construction of Tipaimukh dam if the Union government agrees to craved out separate districts for the...

From John Basho Pou   SENAPATI, June 1:To regularize the mid-day meal in the Government schools, better school management and for successful implementation of the scheme unlike in the past years, Nidhi keswerwani, D.C Senapati gave surprise visit to some schools today to know the ground reality in the implementation of the scheme. She was accompanied by district school authorities and media persons on her visit to Taphou Nepali, Taphou Naga, Katomai, Karong and Tungam village in Tadubi Block.  Some of the major findings during the visit are irregularity of fund flow for the scheme, inadequate of school text books, furniture, utensils and teaching staff.  The school staffs candidly told the visiting officials that they have not received any fund for the mid-day meal for the current year. And the meal has been served today for the first time this year as there is not fund released by the state government. However, some schools could still manage to provide...

Imphal, Jun 1: An emergency meeting of the state Cabinet held this evening chaired by chief minister O Ibobi Singh at his official bungalow has approved the eviction of all offices of NGOs and students organisations from inside the campus of government offices and government run educational institutions in the state. A source quoting a senior Cabinet minister said the decision for vacating the offices of the NGOs and students organisations was taken by the state Cabinet in its meeting held this evening at 4 pm as a part of toning up the law and order in the state to prevent any untoward incidents inside government offices and government run educational institutions. The official source further mentioned that the NGOs and students organisations, mainly those not registered and recognised by the state government, would be given 15 days prior notice to vacate their respective offices. Failure to comply with the notice would invite action from the state authorities, for which the state D...

IMPHAL, May 30: The Okram Ibobi Cabinet in a marathon meeting this evening decided among other things to reward soldiers of the 57 Mountain Division and Assam Rifles, and police commandos who took part in the Operation Summer Storm at the Loktak Lake for the efficiency with which they executed the mission, as well as their dedication to duty and job. While the army and Assam Rifles are to get Rs. 7 lakhs, the police commandos would be rewarded Rs. 3 lakhs. It may be recalled in the said operation in April this year, the raiding combined team of army soldiers and police commandos killed 12 underground cadres and destroyed many of their hideouts at the Keibul Lamjao National Park at Loktak Lake. In another decision, the Cabinet also decided to raise the ration allowance of jail staff from the existing Rs. 450 to Rs. 485 per month. The Cabinet also decided on an ex-gratia amount of Rs. 50,000 each to the kin of the 20 people killed in the unfortunate accident on May 7 at Sangrungpan about...

IMPHAL, May 30: The underground KYKL in a lengthy clarification on the matter of its killing Prof. Islamuddin of the Manipur University, said it understands the outrage of the public in the killing of a teacher, but is saddened by the response of Meitei Pangal organisations that the KYKL had targeted a Meitei Pangal deliberately. It said this was far from the truth and that the KYKL treats Meitei Pangals, Meitei Chistians, Meitei Buddists, Meitei Hindus, Meitei Athiests as belonging to one Meitei community, and this is very much enshrined in its constitution. It said Prof. Islamuddin was killed not because of his ethnicity or community but because he was part of a corrupt clique which was usurping all powers of the Manipur University in order to convert the university into their private fiefdom. It said the KYKL has Meitei Pangal cadres in it and the Meitei Pangal community would realise the party is never against this fraternal community at all in time. It said the MU clique had to be...

VIENNA/CHANDIGARH: The Austrian police identified on Thursday the six suspects in  Sunday's attack on a Sikh temple in Austria that killed  one and left 17 injured.  The six men, all from Punjab or other northern Indian states, had given several names to the police, which made their identification difficult, police spokesman Michael Takacs said. All six were in custody, although one of them, believed to be the mastermind behind the attack, was still in hospital in an induced coma after a shot in the head, he added.  Two of the men - named only as S Charnjit, 24, from Uttar Pradesh, and S Hardeep, 33 - had come to Austria illegally in 2001 and 2008. The other four were seeking asylum. S Sukhwinder, 28, from Haryana, arrived in 2001, citing a family feud for fleeing India, while S Jaspal, 34, came in 2008 and requested asylum on religious grounds. S Satwinder, 28, from UP, and S Tarsum, 45, from Gujarat, made only vague asylum claims. None of the men were related or had a prior crimi...