Deposited fund at TP Cell Vanishes

IMPHAL, May 26 : Just a day after the State Cabinet decided to abolish the Technical and Professional Cell (TP Cell) during the meeting chaired by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh on April 29 last, the fund deposited by various Departments in the account of the TP Cell have vanished even as suspicions have been raised on diversion of around Rs 2 crores illegally.According to a reliable source, following the State Cabinet decision to abolish the TP cell and to set up a Committee with the Chief Secretary as chairman to look into the work process and fund deposited by various Departments in the account of the TP cell, the Finance Department had also issued an order in this regard.However, on May 2 when the Chief Secretary who is the Committee chairman deputed an Additional Secretary of the Finance Department to the Registrar Co-operative in connection with freezing the account of the TP cell it was learnt that the account was nil and there was no fund in it.

State hits key note at Vietnam Meet

IMPHAL, Mar 6: State private and public enterprises have signed four Memorandum of Understandings with numerous Vietnamese firms during the ASEAN - North East India Investment and Trade Opportunities Summit recently held from February 12 to 14 at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Declaring this Manipur Electronics Development Corporation Limited (MANITRON) Managing Director N Joykumar Singh, in a press meet conducted at Hotel Imphal today said that an MoU had been signed between the State public enterprise and MYA Busi-ness Corporation, Vietnam in the field of IT sector. According to the MoU, MANITRON will prepare Smart Cards for the ASEAN country that will include Driving License, RC book and other information of vehicle owners of Vietnam. Mentioned may be made that Manipur Government is also planning to issue similar Smart Cards to the vehicle owners of the State. Joykumar further informed the media that Kh Debabrata Singh of Thang-meiband Kabrambam Leikai and M/s K Marung and Sons of Chandel district also signed different MoUs with Vietnamese firms in the field of bamboo and handicraft items. Manipur Food Industries Corporation Limited (MFICL) also inked an MoU with a Vietnamese food processing firm in the summit. Joykumar further said that Vietnamese delegates also expressed interest in the taste and quality of State indigenous foods like Chakhao (black aromatic rice; Scientific name Oryza Sativa), Umorok, Uchina, Sekmai country liquor etc.The Indian delegates included Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Lal T Muana (a native of Mizoram), DoNER Ministry Secretary Jarnail Singh, Consul General of India in Ho Minh City Jitendra Nath Mishra, State Additional ChiefSecretary (Planning, Home) DS Poonia and ICC General Secretary Dr Rajiv Singh. Seventeen delegates from the State took part in the summit.The summit was orga-nised by DoNER Ministry in association with Indian Chamber of Commerce, Indian Diplomatic Mission in Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industries with the objective of attracting investment from ASEAN countries to NE India. Delegates from Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, Korea, Malaysia and Japan took part in the summit. Seventy companies from different business sectors of NE India participated in the summit.

Yandaboo treaty studied, analysed

IMPHAL, Mar 6: The significance of the Treaty of Yandaboo signed between the Great Britain and Burma (now Myanmar) on February 24, 1826 in the history of Manipur has been discussed and analysed during a commemorative function here today.Organised under the aegis of Federation of Regional Indigenous Society (FREINDS) at Kangla Hall here today, the commemorative function held under theme of ‘Reminiscence of Manipur history : Treaty of Yandaboo, 24th February, 1826’ was attended by titular king of Manipur Leishemba Sanajaoba as chief guest, FREINDS president Sapamcha Jadumani as functional president and former Minister RV Mingthing as guest of honour.Prof Naorem Joykumar of Department of History, Manipur University; Advocate of Gauhati High Court Khaidem Mani and IPSA president Yumnamcha Dilipkumar were among the resource persons who spoke on relevant topics of the theme.In his address as chief guest of the function, Leishemba Sanajaoba exhorted that the present generation should learnt lesson from the past and look forward to the future with a feeling of strong Nationalism. It is a fact well known to the people now that Manipuri society had suffered numerous setbacks in the past as a result of lack of unity and mutual distrust among our forefathers, the titular king said.However, inspite of the lesson learnt from such historical mistakes, we have not been able to rectify the same. In fact dirty politics have been trying set apart the people from one another, the titular king said, adding that this is really unfortunate for the future of the State.In his presidential address, Sapamcha Jadumani noted that the Treaty of Yandaboo signed between the Great Britain and the Burma on February 24, 1826 had recognised the independence of Manipur and this historical fact should not be forgotten by the people.In continuation of the function, various cultural dances were also performed by cultural troupes coming from different parts of the State.

Solid Waste Management proj to start soon

The Solid Waste Management Project for Imphal to be constructed at Lamdeng Khunou under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission is about to start. The Chairman of the Planning and Development Authority (PDA), Manipur Dr Kh Loken Singh here today stated that the representatives of M/S Deccan Consultants which prepared the layout of the project would be reaching Imphal in the next week to submit the layout to the State government. The State Government had already acquired an area of 84 acres at Lamdeng Khunou in Imphal West District for the project which would be developed with modern technology and the fourth of its kind in the country. The Chairman said that the project would have two components namely Solid Waste collection and transportation system, and Solid Waste handling, treatment and final disposal at Solid Waste Disposal Facilities site. The products after treatment of the solid waste would be fertilizers extracted from the soluble substances, and glass and other decorative items from the non-soluble substances. Dr Loken Said that during his visit to the capital, he along with the Chief Minister would be meeting Union Minister for Urban Development Shri Jaipal Reddy to remind him to sanction the Nambul Naga Project for which the State Govt had already submitted its project proposal to the Centre. Green Imphal is another ambitious project being taken up by the PDA in association with local plant growers of Manipur, the PDA Chairman said. He expected that a new green Imphal would materialize in five years. Commencing from August this year, more than 7000 trees were planted around Mapal Kangjeibung Area, inside Kangla, Governor Road, Paona Bazar, Thangal Bazar and along National Highway No 39 from North AOC to Hicham Yaicham Pat in Imphal. About 5000 fruit bearing trees were planted inside the Kangla. Dr Loken said, “We had a good co-ordination with the plant growers. They planted the trees and the PDA staff fenced the plants for protection. The plant growers have been taking care of the plants daily till it fully grows. We are more conscious about the indigenous plants of Mani-pur. That is why we are planting trees like Heinou, Theibong, Chingthrao, Bo-kul, Jam, Nageshwar and Leihao.”“We need to develop a good environment for our better living in due course. Imphal is getting fresh air due to the greeneries preserved in the Raj Bhavan Complex, Kang-la and Mongbahanba For- est ,” he added. <>