Uncertainty dogs Manipur house session

IMPHAL, January 27: The reconvening of the postponed session of the 7th State Assembly remains uncertain despite Governor Ved Marwa's intimation to the Assembly Secretariat to convene the House within February 6. Assembly Secretariat sources said that the Secretariat has already submitted a proposal to Speaker S Dhananjoy for convening the House. However, there has not been any notification or intimation from the Speaker's side on the matter, the source said. In the meantime, reliable sources said that S Dhananjoy will be leaving the State capital for Chandigarh tomorrow to attend the presiding officers' meeting presently in progress at Chandigarh while the tension between the ruling and the Opposition still persists. Assembly Secretary T Chourajit and Dy Secretary, Parliamentary Affairs RK Ranjan had left the state for the meeting days back. The absence of the two top officers has added confusion to the already dim situation. Meanwhile, the chief secretary and the PWD Chief Engineer had on January 25 inspected the repairing of the Assembly Hall, which was damaged during the December 1 fracas. Besides inflicting injuries to two ministers, microphones and furniture were damaged in the scuffle between the ruling and Opposition members. In another development, while the Governor had ordered the summoning of the House on February 6, the Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) members have been given the nod by the Centre to carry out surveys in helicopters to check the cut logs lying inside the jungles on February 5 and 6. PAC chairman O Joy has received intimation in this regard from the Union Home Ministry on January 23, the source said adding that the message also directed the State Home Department to carry out necessary security arrangement for the surveys.