Development / Manipur

Imphal, July 15: Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing today informed the Assembly that the Centre is yet to give clearance to the 1500 megawatt Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Project. Responding to a question put forward by MPP MLA O Joy in the morning session of the Assembly today, the Power Minister said that following a resolution adopted by the Assembly on March 3, 1999 an MoU has been sent to the Centre by the State Government. However the Centre is yet to give the clearance to the Project which is to be jointly taken up by the Centre and the State Government. As NH-53 stands to be affected by...

IMPHAL, July 7 ? The Manipur government in this border and volatile State has taken all measures to fight possible flood menace during this monsoon. A 24-hour irrigation and flood control room has also been opened at the office of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department in the heart of Imphal, recently.

Minister of Irrigation and Flood Control N Mangi also informed that all possible measures have been taken to meet any eventuality of flood. He said ?this should not be taken to mean that no flood will occur. The Department also identified the flood-prone areas and the vulnerable points at...

Imphal, July 06: The Singda Dam Mircro Hydel Power Project which will harness 750 KWs of electricity from the dam is likely to be commissioned in August this year. The cost of the project which was taken up by the IFCD under the Central Electricity Authority has also been revised from the earlier Rs 248 lakhs to Rs 420 lakhs. The project will have three turbines each producing 250 KWs of electricity. IFC Minister N Mangi inspected the project site along with Sekmai AC MLA N Biren today. IFCD Div II Addl Chief Engineer and other officials also accompanied the Minister. The Addl CE K Ibotombi...

IMPHAL, July 5 ? The controversial Manipur Land Records and Land Revenue Act 1960 (MLR & LR Act) has been extended to 58 villages of four hill districts in Manipur. This was disclosed by the State Revenue Minister Elangbam Biramani while replying to a question raised by Federal Party of Manipur Legislator N Bihari in the question and answer session of the month long monsoon session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly Thursday. The Revenue Minister Biramani said, ?the Act has been implemented in some areas of the hill districts since 1992-93.? As a result, the areas could be brought or used by...

Imphal, July 03: A visit at the Regional Pony Development Farm at Tingkai Khunou near Oinam belies the State Government's promises or the efforts made to develop and preserve the local breed of horses which have brought immeasurable fame to the State. Of the 70 breeds of the short statured horse species introduced initially at the farm under an ambitious project of the State Government in 1988, a staggering 54 ponies have died over the years due to lack of fodder and treatment facilities at the farm. The condition of those remaining upto the 2000 census are a pity to watch with contracted...

Imphal, July 01: A report by the Planning Commission of India on the number and percentage of population below poverty line for the year 1999-2000 has indicated that state government needs to give more emphasis to development activities in the rural areas than urban areas to justify the meaning of a welfare state. According to the report, in the year 1993-94, the state had 6.33 lakhs people living below poverty line in rural areas. This amounted to 45.01 percent of the total rural population. Whereas, in the year 1999-2000, the number of persons living below the poverty line in the rural areas...

Imphal, June 23: The State Government has revised the cost of the Loktak Down Stream Project to be taken up under the Prime Minister's package and reduced the cost of the project by Rs 87.30 crs from the earlier estimated cost of Rs 758.92 crs. The revision was made following an agreement between State Government officials and the Power Secretary, Government of India on May 16. The total cost was reduced to Rs 671.61 crs as per the price index of March this year. The revised project report has been submitted to the Centre. However it is still not clear whether the report has been accepted by...

Imphal, June 19: The Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna, which is said to be the most successful scheme of the country for eradication of poverty, has turned out to be a failure in Manipur even before its implementation. According to sources, the implementation of the scheme in the state has been nipped in the bud due to the refusal by the nationalized banks operating in the state to provide loans under the scheme, on the ground that loans recovery is negative in the state. The SGSY is a self-employment generation scheme for people living below the poverty line. Apart from the loan component...

IMPHAL, June 17 ? After the attack by a mysterious disease in Tipaimukh sub-division of Churachandpur district recently, another mysterious epidemic has gripped Moreh, a border town neighbouring Myanmar under Chandel district. According to a report received here, so far, a police constable of the Moreh police station died while eleven others of the said police post have been taken ill. It is also said that the people afflicted with the unknown disease first complained of headache followed by vomiting, trembling of the body and fatigue. It is learnt that the disease started spreading in and...

Imphal, June 16: An unidentified disease is on the prowl in Moreh Township, and has already claimed the life of one Manipur police personnel posted at the Moreh police station. Speaking to IFP over the telephone, officials at the Moreh police station confirmed that several people have fallen sick due to the disease all over Moreh town in the last three days or so, but doctors at the Moreh community health centre have had no success in diagnosing it. While the Moreh CHC has no blood testing facility, the various private clinics at Moreh that do have such facilities have not been able to...