IMPHAL, June 15 – The Manipur Opposition has continued to boycott the second day session of the eighth State Assembly today which was chaired by the Speaker TN Haokip. The ruling legislator headed by the Chief Minister O Ibobi however, have continued to take part in the session. On the other hand, a delegation of manipur Opposition led by former Chief Minister RK Dorendra, O Joy of Manipur People’s Party, M Nilachandra and I Hemochandra, both Federal Party of Manipur members and BD Behring of BJP called on the Manipur Governor Arvind Dave and apprised the situation.
On hearing the apprisal, the state Governor informed them to submit a summary of the ongoing impasse between the Speaker and the Opposition. Mention may be made here that Opposition have been boycotting the Assembly session chaired by Speaker Haokip for the three consecutive times in the recent past.
The Opposition has been demanding immediate resignation of the Assembly Speaker TN Haokip from his post for his alleged report of involvement in the killing of a minor child in November last year for which a CBI inquiry is presently on in the State. Besides they also accused Speaker Haokip for misapproiating government funds too.
Later talking to media, the leader of Opposition O Joy said, “We will continue to boycott TN Haokip”. Supporting the statement of Joy, Federal Party of Manipur legislator Irengbam Hemochandra told The Assam Tribune, “We the Opposition members are not boycotting the Assembly, we’re boycotting the Speaker.”
Reacting to the move of the Opposition, Speaker TN Haokip said that meeting of mediamen within the State Assembly when the House was in session is a matter of contempt of the House. They should take prior permission from the secretary of the state Assembly secretariat, the Speaker observed.
Earlier, during the course of the second day session this morning, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi appealed to the part-time lecturers of the 22 higher secondary schools in Manipur to withdraw their fast-unto-death agitation without delay. He said, “We will consider their demands with sympathy”, adding that when the award of the 12 th Finance Commission is released or the financial condition of the State improves, the demands of the part-timers would be fulfilled. Part-timers are demanding basic salary of Rs 7500. Presently, they are getting around Rs. 4000. Chief Minister also assured that for the time being his government would be extending the service period of the part-time lecturers for every six months. There are around 400 part time lecturers in 22 higher secondary schools out of 43 schools.
On another aspect, Ibobi also appealed to rethink and withdraw the proposed 24-hour general strike on June 21 next as his government is taking upon necessary efforts to immediately shift the Assam Rifles troops from Kangla Fort to Mahakoireng, eight km west of Imphal near NH 53. “Ninety per cent of the construction works of the new campus at Mahakoireng have been completed, only the finishing touches are to be done,” he informed.
Ibobi also stated that his government is compelled to extend the Disturb Area Act in the State in view of the prevailing volatile situation in the State. Apart from the two nscn factions, a number of underground outfits in Manipur have been making problems in the State since the past few years. “Even the recently introduced move of taking of photographs for the electorates in Imphal East and West districts has been threatened,” Ibobi claimed. If there is conducive atmoshphere in the state, we would definitely take up the issue of removing such Acts. One should be aware that even though there is disturb area, the government will not remain silent over the excess of the security forces deployed in Manipur, he added.