08
Low-intensity quake
hits Arunachal
ITANAGAR : A low intensity
earthquake was reported
this morning at a place in
Upper Siang district close
to the Indo-China border.
According to the India Meteorological Department
(IMD), the slight intensity
earthquake occured at 7.46
AM and the Richter scale
readings showed the magnitude of the tremor was 3.8.
The depth of the occurence
was 106 km. The epicenter of
the earthquake was recorded
at Lat 28.6 degree North and
Long 94.9 degree East which
is around 116 km from district headquarter Yingkiong.
No loss of life or damage to
property has been reported
so far, state Chief Secretary
Shakuntala Gamlin told PTI
after taking stock of the situation from district officers.
She has directed officers to
be on their toes to assess the
situation properly and keep
her posted continuously.
The People’s Chronicle | www.thepeopleschronicle.in
Imphal, Monday, December 19, 2016
‘Observing Governance Day on Dec 25
will hurt sentiments of Christians’
Church bodies flay
act of vandalism...
December 12 written to the
Prime Minister bringing to his
notice the objections raised
by various organisations in
Nagaland against the declaration of December 25 as 'Good
Governance Day'.
Zeliang pointed out that
the central government has
been continuously observing Christmas as a national
holiday ever since India's
Independence and even before that.
He said the 'Good Governance Day' could be observed on some other more
convenient date, so as not
to hurt the sentiments of the
minority Christian community in India.
"In the event that changing
of date is not possible, Nagaland state may be exempted
from the obligation to organise any such official function
on 25th December," the Chief
Minister requested to the PM.
Decrying Saturday's attack
on MBC Centre Church and
TBCA Church in Imphal
by bandh supporters, the
Tangkhul Baptist Churches
Association (TBCA) has appealed to all the communities
living in Manipur not to communalise the present volatile
situation out of emotional
outburst.
In a press communication,
TBCA executive secretary
MathotmiVasha termed the
attack on churches as very
unfortunate while urging all
the communities in the state
not to target any religious institutions which are a symbol
of peace.
Stating that emotional
outburst is detrimental to
peace and communal harmony, he called for maintaining sanctity of mutual
respect among the different
communities for the sake of
peace in the state.
AGENCIES
KOHIMA : Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang on Sunday said
observing 'Good Governance
Day' on December 25 would
deeply hurt the religious
sentiments of Christians as
it coincides with Christmas.
Reacting to local news
reports regarding the controversy about Centre's decision to observe December
25 as 'Good Governance Day'
throughout the country, Zeliang said he, along with other
Chief Ministers of the northeastern region, had earlier
this year vowed to oppose
the decision.
The CMs of northeastern states had opposed the
decision in a meeting with
the Prime Minister on the
ground that December 25 is
celebrated throughout the
world as the birthday of Jesus Christ and to observe a
'Governance Day' on that
date, no matter how noble
the intention, would deeply
hurt the religious sentiments
of Christians, he said.
"Though good governance
is a constitutional right of
the people, and though the
date has been fixed to coincide with the birthday of the
revered leader of the nation
and former Prime Minister
Atal Behari Vajpayee, the day
being Christmas Day (it) is
inappropriate to hold any official function or occasion,"
the CM said.
The Chief Minister had on
Bodies give sanity call
Hmar villages demand
inclusion in Pherzawl
district
JIRI: Chiefs and authorities of
13 villages currently falling
under Jiribam district but
physically and ethnically contiguous with the
Vangai range of Tipaimukh
subdivision have appealed
to the state government to
include these villages under
the newly created Pherzawl
district. In a joint memorandum submitted to the chief
minister, chiefs/authorities
of the 13 villages on behalf
of the Hmar community
thanked state government
for creating Pherzawl district
but demanded inclusion of
their villages into Pherzawl district. The villages
are Joironpokpi, Muolzawl,
Soma Punjee, Tuisuolien, B
Huonveng, Bhutangkhal, Bekarasuo, Dolakhal, Kotoikhal,
Chowdhurikhal, Mongbung,
Sejang and Leishabithol.
Two caught with
improvised arms in
Kalyani
KALYANI (WB): Police arrested 2
persons with 6 improvised
firearms at the border of
North 24 Parganas and Nadia
districts, SDPO Kalyani Kaustav Dipto Acharya said today.
Salam Ali Mondal, a middleman, and Basudeb Santra, an
improvised firearms manufacturer, were loitering with
a bag at Jhikra Bottala within
limits of Haringhata police
station last evening. The
police had set up a checkpost
at this place which is the
border of the two districts
and caught them with the
firearms. They were arrested
under Arms Act, the SDPO
said adding that both are
residents of Haroa in North
24 Parganas district.
Forty semi-processed
pistols recovered
BHAGALPUR: The GRP today
recovered forty semi-processed pistols from Sultanganj railway station in
Bihar’s Bhagalpur district, a
GRP Inspector said. During
a routine check at platform
number two, GRP constables found two abandoned
bags and recovered the
semi-processed pistols from
the bags, GRP Inspector
Anupam Kumar said. These
pistols were manufactured
at Howrah and were being
taken to Munger for finishing,
he said. Kumar also said that
nobody came forward to
claim consignment of pistols.
TMC state secretary of
Jalpaiguri dead
JALPAIGURI: Kalyan
Chakraborty, a state secretary of Trinamool Congress
(TMC) died here today.
Chakraborty, who was 63
and a bachelor, died in his
sleep due to heart failure,
party sources said. He was
one of the founder members
of the party in Jalpaiguri
district and in the state along
with Trinamool Congress
supremo Mamata Banerjee.
He was the first president
(Sabhapati) of TMC in the
district. Leaders of various
political parties including
his own party and North
Bengal Development minister
Goutam Deb paid their last
respects. TMC MLA Alipurduar
Sourav Chakraborty also paid
his last respects. Initially,
towards the beginning of his
political carrier he was the
president of Jalpaiguri District
Youth Congress.
FROM PAGE 1
Expressing hope that UNC
would lift the economic
blockade as soon as possible,
he urged the common people
to censure NSCN (IM) and
UNC alone for giving hardships to the people instead
of blaming the whole Naga
community or tribal people.
Speaking at the press conference, Christian Tengbang
Lup president S Beikul urged
the Central government to
act fast before intensification
of economic blockade in hill
areas and counter economic
blockade in valley districts
takes an ugly turn.
Urging UNC to call off the
stir in the name of God if they
are true Christians, Beikul
appealed to the valley people not to vent their ire on
churches as those who give
hardship to people are not
true Christians.
He also urged the public
not to spread rumours which
may ignite communal tension.
Kuki Women Union advisor Rose Mangshi Haokip;
United Christian Women,
Manipur president Vermini
Sanasam and World Road
Church Women chairperson
Meena Vashum, who were
also present during the press
conference, called upon the
public to abstain from resorting to communal activities
and maintain sanity.
AGENCIES
GUWAHATI : On account of rising
death of elephants by moving
trains, Assam government
today decided to set up a joint
coordination committee comprising the Forest Department
and Railways to avoid such
incidents in future.
Only the day before, three
elephants were killed by
a speeding train engine in
Nagaon district, following
which state Forest Minister
Pramila Rani Brahma directed
her department to file an FIR
against the Railways.
"A joint coordination committee involving the Forest
department and the Railways
under the leadership of respective Sub-Divisional Officers and Circle Officers will
be constituted for monitoring
the joint activities of the Forest
Department and Railways," an
official release said.
The committee will look
after joint survey of railway
tracks, cleaning of jungles,
streamlining of slopes near
tracks and installation of signage at vulnerable points with
emergency contact number
among others, it added.
The decision was taken at a
meeting held today between
Forest Department and Northeast Frontier Railway, chaired
by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Expressing concern over
high number of elephant
deaths in accidents by speeding train in recent days in the
state, Sonowal directed the
Forest Department and NF
Railway to improve communication and coordination to
control such incidents.
He also directed the Forest and Railway officials to
visit across all the vulnerable
railway tracks immediately so
that all future casualties can
be stopped.
With a view to share real
time information from the
ground to Railway Control
Room, the Chief Minister directed to immediately constitute local level Monitoring
Committee involving the people living in adjoining areas of
the track.
“The members of the committees will inform the Railway Control Room whenever movement of elephants is
noticed so that same can be
passed on to train drivers for
controlling the speed.
The local level monitoring
committees will be constituted in all the 29 elephant corridors falling within railway
tracks,” the statement said.
For improved communication, the Railway Control
Rooms will be manned by both
Forest and Railway personnel,
it added. Underlining the need
for a long-time strategy to
stop all such incidents in future, Sonowal said the Forest
department has to improve
their communication network
AIZAWL : Mizoram would draw additional power during
Christmas and New Year festivities through online trading, state power and electricity department officials today
said.
The officials informed PTI that additional power would
be drawn from December 23 till January 2 next year
through the Indian Energy Exchange.
"We would purchase average additional power to the
tune of 1,260 million units during the 11 days," they said,
expressing hope that the additional energy would provide
round-the-clock electricity to the people without having
to resort to load shedding.
Superintending Engineer, State Load Dispatch Centre,
Vanlalrema said the number of units drawn could be variable and depend on power situation.
Vanlalrema said the state's power requirement had
grown considerably while many hydro-electric projects
in the northeast region could not manage to generate
more power due to less water in rivers.
and adopt new technologies.
He instructed the department to implement Advance
Warning System, solar lights
with alarms at vulnerable
railway tracks,use of remote
sensor and GPS indicator insertion at leaders of elephant
herds to locate their movement. Sonowal also stressed
on the need to study elephants’ behaviour in the area
by the Forest department and
construction of need-based
overpass and underpass at
railway tracks by the Railways.
Urging the Forest and
Railway officials to be more
sensitive to the well-being
of animals, the Chief Minister
directed to immediately conduct sensitisation meeting of
train drivers (loco pilots) and
higher officials of railways.
He informed that he had
already discussed the issue
of mowing down of elephants
by trains with Union Railway
Minister Suresh Prabhu, who
assured him to extend all possible help in improving the
situation.
During 2016, the number
of elephant deaths on railway
tracks has gone up alarmingly
with the Forest Department
putting the figure at 16 so far
compared to only four such
incidents in 2015.
In this month alone, 11 elephants have been killed by
trains with seven in Nagaon
district, while the rest in Karbi
Anglong and Bongaigaon.
NPF blames Ibobi govt for
lawlessness in state
CORRESPONDENT
KANGPOKPI : Expressing strong
concern overlawlessness
situation in the state, Naga
People's Front (NPF),Manipur state unithas accused
Congress government under the leadership of O Ibobi
Singh and G Gaikhangam of
bringing a reign of terror in
the state.
During the 15-year rule
of O Ibobi Singh, people of
the state have witnessed
maximum killings, bandh,
blockade, rapeand minimum
development, a statement
of NPF state unit president
Awangbow Newmai said,
adding that not even a single
year passes peacefullyduring
the past 15 years.
Asserting that NPF never appreciated any forms of
agitation that disturb normal
lives of people, the NPF pres-
ident pointed out that it is the
duty of the government to
resolve any issue in the state.
Whenever any organisations
launch agitation, govt should
find ways to resolvethe issue
or demands through peaceful means but O Ibobi govt
rather use state forces on the
agitators without mercy thus
making state forces enemy
of the people. It is the duty
of govt to bring peace but
Ibobi govt has created hatred
among the different communities in the state, it added.
Stating that arrest and
detention of UNC leaders
will not solve the current
problem, the NPF state unit
president asked state government to release UNC leaders
and bring settlement through
negotiation.
Strongly condemning mob
attack on churches, attack
on vehicles of NPF Manipur
state unit adviser Morung
Makunga at Sawombung and
the mob violence at Khurai on Sunday, Awangbow
Newmai said attack on vehicles carrying people who
are on their way to Ukhrul at
Khuraiwithout any warning
and burning down vehicles
has gone too far and Ibobi
and Gaikhangam should own
responsibility.
While appealing to all
communities to restrainfrom
violence, the NPF state unit
president said it is time for
all communities to reason
together and brought back
love and peace. If the leaders
of the present state govt are
incapable of resolving issue
through peaceful means, they
should vacate their seat and
let the law deal with such
leaders who are responsible
for loss of lives and properties, he added.
state government.
He asserted that BJP wave
is still strong and the party
would definitely form the next
government in the state.
Speaking at the function,
MLA Th Biswajit clarified that
there is no rift in the state
party unit as assumed by some
sections of people.
He, however, said that people should not worry about
the minor misunderstandings
that came to the fore recently
as such things happen in all
families.
Regarding creation of new
districts, the MLA claimed
that government officials are
baffled by the government’s
move.
On the other hand, chief
minister Okram Ibobi is unable to handle law and order
properly although he is the
chairman of the unified command comprising all security
agencies present in the state,
he added.
Biswajit said that awarding
an economic package of Rs
22,000 crore by the Centre
for the construction of roads
happened for the first in the
history of Manipur.
Stating that he had requested Union Transport minister Nitin Gadkari to revamp
Kongba-Yairipok road same
as a national highway, the
MLA asserted that the state
government is unable to submit a proposal in this regard
till date.
CM opens PS, guest house
Many demand...
FROM PAGE 1
FROM PAGE 1
Mizoram to draw additional
power during Christmas
Assam to set up Jt coordination
panel of forest dept, railways
Ram Lal takes jibe at Ibobi, Congress
Over 13,000
teachers to be
appointed in Assam
schools,colleges
GUWAHATI : Assam government today said over 13,000
teachers will be appointed at
schools and colleges to fill the
vacancies across the state
during early next year.
At a function to handover appointment letters to
73 teachers for higher secondary school, Assam Education Minister Himanta
Biswa Sarma said that more
than 13,000 posts of teachers
will be filled up in the next
few months.
"In January, we will appoint 11,000 teachers in primary schools. For appointment in the next phase, we
are talking with the Centre
for relaxation of norms for
27,000 teachers," Sarma said.
He said that 1,287 subject
teachers will be given appointment letters within next
two months.
"There are many posts lying vacant in colleges also. We
will fill 229 posts of lecturers
within next one month," he
said.
Talking about the higher
secondary schools, he said
700 such institutions do not
have any principals at this
moment.
"All these higher secondary schools are being run by
in-charge principals. We will
appoint full-time principals
in all these schools next
month," the Minister said.
Valley Zeliangrongs
demand lifting of
blockade
FROM PAGE 1
The meeting also resolved
to urge UNC to immediately lift its economic
blockade considering
hardships caused to the
people and to ask the
government to break the
deadlock with UNC at the
earliest.
The meeting observed
that the present standoff
may disturb communal
harmony if timely attention is not paid by the
government.
Representatives of
different organisations
while speaking at the
meeting urged the people
of different communities not to resort to any
form of agitation which
may ignite communal
tension.
In the state as well, many
prominent political leaders
are seeking tickets from the
party for the coming state
assembly election, he added.
Stating that Manipur had
never witnessed visits of
Union ministers as frequent
as this time in the past, the
BJP national general secretary recounted Union Transport minister Nitin Gadkari’s
announcement of Rs 22,000
crore package for development of roads in the state.
BJP state unit president
Ksh Bhabananda rebuffed
the claim of weakening BJP
wave after the creation of
seven new districts by the
FROM PAGE 1
Government institutions were
developed in order to ease the
problems faced by the people
of Moirang constituency, he
said, while adding that opening of the sub-treasury office
at Moirang will ease problems
of the people specially the
pensioners.
Moirang being a tourist
hot spot of the state, many
tourists come to visit Loktak
Lake, Keibul Lamjao and Sendra. Since the private hotels
could not accommodate all
the visiting tourists, Chingnu Moirang Thangjing Guest
House has been constructed
to facilitate stay of the tourists coming from across the
globe and other parts of the
country, he added.
The chief minister also
announced that a 33/11 KV
power station exclusively for
Kwakta will be constructed
soon to solve the problem of
power shortage in the area.
The function was also attended by deputy chief minister Gaikhangam, commerce &
industries minister Govindas
Konthoujam, PHE minister
Manga Vaiphei, Moirang MLA
M Prithviraj Singh, Kumbi
MLA S Bira Singh, Thanga MLA
Th Mangibabu Singh, DGP LM
Khaute and DC Bishnupur.
Curfew clamped in
restive Imphal districts
FROM PAGE 1
Meanwhile, SSUM has demanded declaration of UNC
as unlawful organisation as
the council is involved in illegal activities not only by
imposing economic blockade
to choke the supply lines of
the people but also killing police personnel and assaulting
innocent truck drivers.
While cautioning of dire
consequences in case of failure to rein in UNC, SSUM
publicity secretary Naorem
Tanoranjan recalled that UNC
was responsible for the communal riot that occurred in
1993 after it served quit notice
to people of Thadou group.
Agitators defy crackdown,
22 vehicles torched
MR complex.
The agitators also
Later on, additional
carried out a mass rally
force of Imphal West
from Khurai Lamlong to
and Imphal East police
Khurai Heikru Makhong
rushed in and managed
by holding the seven-coto control the situation.
lour flag of Manipur.
Fire Service teams also
On the other hand,
came there and put out
counter economic
the fire. Members of local blockade supporters
club of Khurai Heikru
scattered goods carried
Makhong and Meira
in passenger vehicles at
Paibi took major role in
Uripok Canteen Leirak
keeping the stranded
and Sagolband Moirang
passengers safely at Ima
Leirak Machin areas.
Chingjroibi commuThere are reports of aginity hall. Later, police
tators smashing vehicles
escorted the stranded
of 5 MR in Lamlai area
passengers back to 1st
as well.
FROM PAGE 1
In case of emergencies or for persons
who are desirous to take out procession for marriage, funeral, etc. within
the scheduled area, applications may be
made to the district magistrate or to the
superintendent of police, Imphal East to
obtain permission. No procession will
be allow until the written permission is
obtained from the authorities concerned,
it said, adding the curfew will remain enforced with immediate effect until further
notification.
Meanwhile, Imphal West district magistrate Robert Singh Kshetrimayum declared
imposition of curfew in the district prohibiting movement of any person outside their
residences during the period from 6 pm
of December 18 till 4 am of December 19.
FROM PAGE 1