Rifts widening in ruling camp in Manipur over action plan

IMPHAL, January 18: A sharp division of opinion has surfaced within the United Front Government over the issue of the 26 point Action Plan the chief minister, W Nipamacha, signed with the Union Home minister, LK Advani, according to an insider source. Some have even expressed un-happiness at the leadership of the chief minister, according to the source. They also resented the unnecessary embarrassment caused at the discovery that the government's announcement of a 12-point action plan was false and that it actually contained 26 points. Again, some ministers had goaded the chief minister to show himself at the meeting of legislative party leaders called by the Speaker, even if only for a while, but the chief minister stubbornly stuck to his decision of doing otherwise. This point to put off some of the ministers, as they feel that the chief minister's pride has handed over the lever to the Opposition to play the delaying tactics in re-summoning the House, the source said. These ministers are now opposed to the chief minister participating in the present call for a meeting of the Legislative leaders on January 20 by the Speaker. Resentments are also surfacing on the widely held perception that the chief minister is playing favoritism among his men, and he takes the advice of only those he thinks are unconditionally loyal to him, according to the source. The drifting apart of the Union minister of food processing, T Chaoba, and the chief minister, has also caused fresh problems. Many ministers feel that they have been sidelined by the chief minister on account of the latter's perception that they are close to Chaoba. The source said the January 12 Cabinet meeting that discussed the action plan was also divided in their opinion on accepting and adopting the entire clauses of the plan. Only on certain points, they were unanimous, but opinions were sharply divided on most of the others, the source said. On the proposal to terminate the service of all employees appointed after the 1998 MoU with the Union Finance minister, all of the council of ministers were vehemently against it, the source said. Differences have also cropped up over the probe permission handed over to the CBI into the lottery and education department fake appointment scandals. On the question of manhandling of newsmen by the state police and IRB, some ministers had recommended a probe and punishing of the guilty, but the chief minister reportedly refused flatly, the source said.