Tuesday, April 15, 2008

manipur news

Tharon VA clarifies on charges

IMPHAL, Apr 14: Reacting to the press statement issued by the Tamenglong Block Congress Committee-I accusing SDO/PO (NREGS) Joseph Pauline of misappropriating about Rs 4 lakhs meant for payment to Tharon villagers as published in this paper on April 10 issue, the Tharon Villa Authority chairman has dismissed the charges as baseless.
A statement issued by Tharon Village Authority chairman Keirenlungbou Dichongta also condemned the BCC-I Tamenglong for levelling false charges against the sincere and devoted official. The word ‘imposter Chairman’ levelled against Keirenlungbou is baseless as the chairman has been holding the post for the past three years and have been re-elected to chairmanship unanimously as per the election code of conduct, it contended.
Clarifying that SDO/PO (NREGS) Tamenglong Joseph Pauline is innocent in the implementation of NREGS programme of Tharon village, it appealed to the general public not to be misguided by the allegation of vested political interest groups against a sincere Government official.
VPC condemns: While condemning the attempt to kidnap Moreh College Principal S Lungjapao Vaiphei, Vaiphei Peoples Council urged the State Government to arrest the culprits as soon as possible.
Fire Service Week
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Apr 14: As in other parts of the country, the Fire Service Day 2008 and Fire Service Week 2008 (April 14-20) observation have been kicked off today. The observation is in remembrance of the 66 fire fighters who died in fighting an inferno at Mumbai in 1944 with the objective to create awareness among the mass about the risk of fire mishaps and preventive measures. Even though the Fire Service Department was established in Manipur on April 14, 1957, limited awareness on the part of people about possible causes of fire mishaps, negligence and lack of adequate of man power, equipment and fire service sub-stations have been causing heavy casualty and loss at the time of fire mishaps. According to the Fire Advisory norms of the country, there should a fire station for a distance after every 5/7 kms. Each station should have at least 17 fire men.
However, there are only 16 fire stations for the whole State of Manipur. These stations are located at Imphal, Moirang, Churachandpur, Thoubal, Kakching, Jiribam, Mayang Imphal, Tamenglong, Bishnupur, Moreh, Kangpokpi, Ukhrul, Senapati, Chandel, Sugnu and Singhat. At these fire stations excepting Imphal, there are only about 7/8 fire men. Even though the Imphal fire service station is capable of combating two fire accidents at the same time, no other station is equipped to fight two fire mishaps simultaneously.
Other than the Imphal station, other stations are equipped with only a jeep and a fire tender each. Such acute shortage of manpower and equipment has been severely crippling these fire stations. Speaking to these reporter, an official of the Manipur Fire Service Department asserted that it needs a strong public pressure to improvise and enhance the fire-fighting capability of the Manipur Fire Service.
At a time when the term ‘Fire Service’ is being replaced with ‘Fire Emergency Service’, the existing infrastructure of the Manipur Fire Service Department remains quite pathetic, he lamented. According to the norms of the National Building Construction, for every building rising to 15 metres or above, it is mandatory to seek approval from the Fire Service Department. However, the norm is never followed in Manipur, the official decried. Conceding that fire fighters cannot restore a burnt structure, he appealed to the public to help fire fighters control fire mishaps and cooperate in their struggle to prevent a raging fire from engulfing other surrounding structures.
AR donates water tanks
IMPHAL, Apr 14: Commandant of 18 Assam Rifles after having discussion with villagers presented a water tank each of 1000 litres to Kampang Khunou and Lamlong on April 12.
Personnel of the same Battalion also helped a child from Tengnoupal in refering to RIMS Hospital after he had developed acute breathlessness all of a sudden. The child was first given first aid at its hospital.
KNF (MC) condoles death
JIRIBAM, Apr 14: The Kuki National Front (MC) has condoled the death of EE Liankhothang Tonsing of the North East Frontier Railway in a road mishap that took place on Lhangnom village in Tamenglong district on April 8, conveyed our Jiri correspondent.
Firing condemned
IMPHAL, Apr 14: Teachers and Medical Officers’ Association of RIMS in its emergency executive meeting held today condemned the firing at Gynaecology ward of RIMS hospital.
Maintaining that such act disturbed the congsenial atmosphere of patient care, the meeting also appealed the concerned not to repeat the same in future.
Seminar on AIDS
IMPHAL, Apr 14: New Life Development Society organised a one-day seminar on HIV/AIDS at Dimdailong Baptist Church on April 12.
Superintandant of Kangpokpi Mission Hospital, Dr KP Rongmei gave speech on ‘ignorance and carelessness’ about the disease.
Stirs lined up
IMPHAL, Apr 14: With the deadline set to the Government in connection with the killing of Inaothoibi, a you-ng widow, over, the JAC formed in this connection has resolved to take recourse to various intense agitation with effect from April 16.
The spokesperson of the JAC H Imo said that with the expiry of the deadline serv-ed to the Govt today, the proposed agitations were to be launched from tomorrow. However, with the Asthi Sanchay of the victim due to be held tomorrow, it has been decided to launch the agitation from April 16.
Public rally, hunger stri-ke, slogan shouting in front of DC office, etc are among the form of agitations to be launched for the first phase and would be followed by road block, the spokes-person disclosed.