Politics / Manipur

IMPHAL, February 21:The State Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam indicated today that the size of his ministry will kept small, at least initially, on account of the financial problems faced by the State. Radhabinod Koijam, who addressed a press conference at the residence of Union Defence Minister George Fernandez at New Delhi today, also confirmed that the first expansion of the ministry will take place on Friday next. The CM is return to Imphal tomorrow. According to official reports from New Delhi, the State Chief Minister has also made it clear that 'tainted' former ministers, who have been...

GUWAHATI, February 21: The Gauhati High Court today allowed a petition filed by W Nipamacha Singh and 31 other Manipur MLAs challenging the order of the Manipur Speaker which rejected the resolution moved by a notice on November 18 last year by these MLAs for the removal of the Speaker. Quashing the Speaker's said rejection order dated December 5, 2000, Justice AK Patnaik of the High Court directed the placing of the November 18, 2000 notice moved by the MLAs, again before the Manipur Assembly (unless withdrawn by the petitioners). Appearing for the petitioner MLAs, Nilamani Singh, Senior...

NEW DELHI, February 21 (PTI): New Manipur Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam today asked the centre to announce a total ceasefire in the Northeast on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir saying a partial initiative with only NSCN (IM) would not work. There has to be a total ceasefire like the one in J&K involving all the groups. The Centre should spell out whether the ongoing ceasefire (with NSCN-IM) has a geographical limit. The concept of this ceasefire has to be made clear, Koijam told reporters after his meeting here today with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Koijam, who also had meetings...

IMPHAL, February 20: The People's front ministry led by Radhabinod Koijam is likely to be expanded on coming Friday or latest by Saturday in the presence of Union Defence Minister George Fernandes, Samata Party General Secretary Mrs Jaya Jaitley and Union MoS Railway Digvijay Singh. The Chief Minister, presently at New Delhi heading a high power delegation of People's Front to discuss the expansion of ministry and other financial matters with the central leaders will arrive here tomorrow. This was announced by Samata Party MLA, Nimaichand Luwang at a crowded press conference held at the Chief...

NEW DELHI, February 20: New Manipur Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam favoured the declaration of "unilateral ceasefire" with all insurgent groups operating in the State on the pattern of Jammu and Kashmir. Koijam, who took over the reins of power in the Northeastern state on February 15, told Zee News. "My request to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the Government of India is that there should be unilateral ceasefire covering all the insurgent groups of Manipur even if the groups do not respond to my appeal or to the appeal of the Government of India." Ex-ministers father abducted...

IMPHAL, February 19: In a sensational case, a woman has filed a petition against the State Government seeking Rs 5 lakhs as compensation attributing the death of her husband to the Government's (School Education Directorate) failure to pay advance medical expenses. The petitioner Thambal Bibi of Lilong Turel Ahanbi filed the case before the Gauhati High Court Imphal Bench. The deceased husband Md Badaruddin Shah who was working as assistant teacher in the Lilong Mayai Turel Ahanbi Primary Madrassa had kidney failure. Khaidem Mani who appeared in favour of the petitioner said that Badaruddin...

IMPHAL, February 19: The state Chief Minister, Radhabinod Koijam, held talks with Union defence minister George Fernandes this evening at the latter's residence in New Delhi on the question of expansion of the People's Front ministry, but no final resolution could be arrived at, sources in New Delhi said. The meeting was attended among others by the Union minister of state for food processing, T Chaoba, and several members of the state team accompanying the minister. The sources said the meeting could not reach any concrete decision concerning the matter of expansion of the ministry, and it...

IMPHAL, February 19: The working president of Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) and Union Minister of State for Food Processing, Thounaojam Chaoba has called upon the MSCP factions for re-union with a view to strengthen the party. Sources told The Assam Tribune that the MSCP Chaoba group had even sent a proposal to the Nipamacha group to merge the two factions. However, the Nipamacha faction rejected the proposal. Announcing this at a press conference, Union Minister Chaoba said a decision to try and bring about a reunion of the MSCP factions was taken in an exhaustive meeting of the 23...

IMPHAL, February 18: The political situation in Manipur continued to be fluid as Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam left for New Delhi today along with other leaders of the new-constituted People's Front to end the impasse over the expansion of his ministry. Koijam, who was sworn in as the state's 24th Chief Minister last Thursday, is in a fix as he could not expand his ministry due to differences among the front's partners. Union minister of state for food processing Thounaojam Chaoba Singh continued to block any attempts to induct arch rival Nipamacha Singh's loyalists in the Cabinet. Crisis...

IMPHAL, February 18: Finally it will be the central leadership which decides who is inducted in to the Radhabinod Koijam government. Senior leaders including Koijam, Speaker Sapam Dhananjoy, Union minister for food processing Th. Chaoba, MPP president O Joy Singh, Col H Bhubon BJP MLA, M Bhorot, BJP state president and FPM president Ganmumei Kamei rushed to New Delhi today to settle the matter after the seven-party People's Front fail to settle the power sharing configuration amicably. Koijam had submitted a list of 33 prospective ministers to the Governor for swearing in yesterday. However...