Night landing facilities...

IMPHAL, Jan 5: Although installation work of Solar Power Obstructing Light (SPOL) on hill tops to enable night landing of aircrafts at Imphal airport is nearing completion, installation work atop Baruni hills is only in its initial stages. Installation work of SOPLs were taken up atop Baruni hills, Heibok hills, Chingphu hills and Phunal Maring hills since one year back under a package announced by the Prime Minister to facilitate night landing at Tulihal Airport. Except for Baruni hills, installation work of SOPLs in the other hill tops are nearing completion.Although installation work had been started at Baruni hills too, the Transport Department sent a proposal to the Planning Department for the next phase of fund only recently. As such, installation work here will take a longer time than the others.Out of Rs 19,55,65000 required for the installation work at Baruni hills, Planning Department released Rs 5,38,92000, informed an official source from the Transport Department.The total sanctioned amount includes Rs 8.29 crores for Works Department, Rs 5.83 crores for the Police Housing Corporation, Rs 1.53 crores for MANIREDA, Rs 3.55 crores for Forest Department towards multipurpose afforestation and Rs 35.65 lakhs as net present value.Out to the amount of Rs 5,38,92000 released by the Planning Department, Works Department should get Rs 3 crores, Police Housing Corporation Rs 2 crores and MANIREDA Rs 38.27 lakhs.So far, road cutting work till Khalong hill top has been completed from the released amount but WBM work is pending. At present, preliminary work for making drainage from Mahadeva site to Khalong is under process.As the spot fixed earlier for installation of SPOL tower would affect the Khalong sacred site, site preparation work is going on at a spot a shot distance below by increasing height of the tower a little. With a larger portion of the installation work yet to be executed, the Transport Department sent the proposal for prompt release of the remaining amount to the Planning Department so that the remaining work can be initiated at the earliest, conveyed the official source. The installation work can be completed latest by March, claimed the source.The completed work would be inspected by officials of the Airport Authority of India. Once they certify the towers, test run of aircraft for night landing at Imphal airport will be conducted, added the source.
SangaiExpress

Mumbai evidence handed over to Pak : Pranab

NEW DELHI, Jan 5: India today handed over to Pakistan evidence about involvement of elements based in that country in the Mumbai terror attacks and asked Islamabad to implement its commitments.Stepping up the diplomatic offensive, foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said he has written to his counterparts around the world and that countries are being briefed separately giving details of the Mumbai attacks and its links in Pakistan.“We have today handed over to Pakistan evidence of the links with elements in Pakistan of the terrorists who attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2008,” Mukherjee told reporters here. Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik was summoned by Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon to hand over the material. Pakistan confirmed it has received evidence regarding Mumbai terror attacks from India, and “concerned authorities” were “examining the material,” IANS reported.“The material has been received in Pakistan now and is being examined by concerned authorities,” said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadiq. Describing the Mumbai attacks as “unpardonable crime,” Mukherjee asked Pakistan to implement the bilateral commitments it has made at the highest levels to India and practice its international obligations. The evidence includes confession of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist held during Mumbai terror strikes, records of GPS and satellite phones used by the attackers and transcript of conversations between the attackers and their handlers in Pakistan. It also includes details about weapons and other articles recovered.“This material is linked to elements in Pakistan. It is our expectation that the Government of Pakistan will promptly undertake further investigations in Pakistan and share the results with us so as to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.“We are also briefing all our friendly countries,” the Minister said. “I have written to my counterparts around the world giving them details of the events in Mumbai and describing in some detail the progress that we have made in our investigations and the evidence that we have collected,” Mukherjee said. The External Affairs Ministry will also be briefing all heads of missions based here by tomorrow. Indian Ambassadors and High Commissioners will be doing the same in their host countries, he said. “It is my hope that the world will unite to achieve the goal of eliminating the threat of such terrorism,” Mukherjee said. India hoped that Pakistan will implement its “bilateral, multilateral and international obligations to prevent terrorism in any manner from territory under its control.” PTI

Crowd attempts to storm Police Station

IMPHAL, Jan 3: Even as three persons have been pulled up and questioned in connection with the murder of Md Wahidur alias Naocha, a large crowd of people attempted to storm Irilbung police station demanding arrest of the murderers. However, the police pushed back and dispersed the crowd firing tear gas shells.In connection with the murder of the 15 year old boy, a public meeting was held at Keirao Litan Makhong this morning. At about 10 am, a large number of people belonging to Keirao Litan Makhong, Urup and Keirao Bitra took out a protest rally towards Irilbung police station.As they converged at Irilbung police station demanding justice, police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. As Deputy Speaker Shyamkumar passed through the road at that moment, the matter was discussed jointly with JAC representatives and police officers in Irilbung PS complex.However, the crowd squatted on the road blocked traffic in front of Irilbung PS protesting against the brutal murder.The visibly agitated crowd only turned back only when they were assured that the murderers will be booked within 24 hours. Mother of late Wahidur and another woman who broke down in the course of the protest movement were taken to hospital by police. In connection with the murder, Irilbung police picked up three individuals and questioned. But they were released later.

One laptop per child scheme

IMPHAL, Jan 3: To do away with daily cumbersome activities of carrying books to school in a bag by children, plans are afoot for introduction of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) Scheme in the State through which every school going child would be able to carry just one solar power generated laptop to the school.Disclosing this to The Sangai Express, a reliable source said that the School Education Department of the State Government has already discussed introduction of the OLPC Scheme for the first time in Manipur from the next academic session at the primary level. A decision of the State Cabinet in this connection is only being awaited to go ahead with the plan.To be taken up initially as a pilot project, there is also plan for expanding the scheme to all over the State in due course of time, the source said, while pointing out that the scheme has already been implemented successfully in States like Maharashtra, Karnataka and UP.With the help of the solar power generated laptop manufactured by a Taiwanese company, students can download their lessons/books and learnt them instead of carrying the books along with them to school in a bag. Moreover, the size and weight of these laptops would be halved of the typical laptops being used by the people.The life span of the battery used in these solar powered laptop is five years and only one watt of energy is required to run them apart from the quality of being water, dust and fire resistant. These new laptop models are also not breakable and have already in- built wi-fi gadget for inter-net connectivity and net- working without the need of a common server.Among the countries of the world, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Scheme has successfully implemented in Uruguay, Peru, Aghanis-tan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Haiti, Mongolia, Rawanda.

Moreh on New Year’s day

A cultural programme underway during the festival of peace at Moreh on New Year’s day

Another NE girl raped in Gurgaon

New Delhi, Jan 2: The year 2008 ended with shock following the rape of a 22 year old Assamese girl in IT hub city Gurgaon, National Capital Region on December 30 night.The fact finding team led by NE Support Centre & Helpline’s spokesperson, Mr Madhu Chandra, member Dr Alana Golmei, social activist along with two leaders from Jagori—Ms Nilansu Dutta and Priti— rushed to the victim as soon the incident was reported early morning on Wednesday.The women members of the fact finding team, met the victim and provided trauma counselling and latter took her to Sector 40 Police Station Gurgaon, Haryana to lodge a complaint.After registering FIR No. 325 under section 376 of Indian Penal Code the rapist has been arrested by the police.Revealing the trauma, the victim maintained that Mr Manish, a resident of Greenwood, Sector 40, Gurgaon promised her to give a job in a friend’s house as a domestic help.However, instead of taking her to the family where she was promised to work as a domestic help, Mr Manish took her to his resident at around 8 pm on December 30, the girl said, adding she was offered juice that was mixed with some intoxicant and was raped repeatedly throughout the night.The victim further said, “I was forced to wear revealing tight dressed and he took picture of me.”At early morning, she was taken to another place and left in an unknown place and latter she managed to return to her residence at Sikandrapur, Gurgaon.After filing the complaint, police took her to Government Hospital at Gurgaon for medical examination.While the North East communities in Delhi and NCR were still feeling it hard to imagine the previous case of two girls being molested in Gurgaon recently, this incident of rape case that occurred in the same city has only added fuel to the people’s sense of being discriminated on racial and regional basis.

Minister hold talks on Korea-Manipur ties

IMPHAL, Dec 31: To extend co-operation between Korea and Manipur in the field of culture, sports and economic, Education Minister of the State L Jayantakumar has met the Korean Ambassador at New Delhi and extended invitation for sending a Korean cultural troupe to Imphal in last week of February or first week of March next year.Disclosing this to The Sangai Express, Education Minister L Jayantakumar informed that he along with Director of Education (School) M Harekrishna and social activist Naoroibam Ratan have discussed the matters related to extension of co-operation between Korea and Manipur in the field of culture, sports and economy have been discussed during a joint meeting with Korean Ambassador Young Sun Paek, Cultural Secretary Spung-Ho Kin and Professor JK Kim at New Delhi recently.While informing that during the meeting, the Korean Ambassador has given his approval on opening up of a Korean studies faculty in Manipur University as well as on sending Korean teachers for providing a 6-month Korean language training course in school education, the Minister said necessary expenses would be bore by the Korean authority.The Minister also informed that he would be meeting the authorities of Manipur Univrsity in connection with opening of the Korean studies faculty.Stating that the outcome of the meeting with the Korean Ambassador was positive, the Minister said the same has also been conveyed to the Chief Minister.‘‘He (Chief Minister)was very happy with the development’’, the Education Minister added.As to extension of co-operation between Korea and Manipur in the field of cultual, sports and economy during the meeting, the Minister informed that the the Korean Ambassador appreciated the matter and requested for submitting a concrete proposal in this regard.The State Government has only made an approach to the Korean Ambassador, no formal agreement has signed in this connection, the Minister added.Towards extension of co-operation in the culture, an invitation for sending a cultural troupe from Korea to Imphal sometime in last week of February or last week of March next year had been extended, the Education Minister informed, adding that one Kokyet (traditional Manipuri turban) a basket of Oranges from Tamenglong district of Manipur have been presented to the Korean Ambassador during the meeting.

SFs raid Loktak Lake, UG hideout busted

IMPHAL, Dec 31: For the second time the combined forces of Army and the Bishnupur district police commandos launched operation in some parts of Loktak lake and succeeded in raiding the hideouts of UGs.During the operation conducted with induction of unmanned surveillance planes, exchange of firing had taken place between the UGs and the security forces. But there is no report of any casualty on either side.According to police report, the operation was conducted from early morning today after having cordoned off Tharopat, Ngamupat and Yennapat of Loktak lake since last night.During the course of the operation, exchange of firing took place between the UGs and the security forces at around 4 am and continued till 6 am.In connection with the operation, a statement issued by PIB Defence Wing said that in a surgically executed pre-dawn , troops of 57 Mountain Division and Bishnupur Police Commandos destroyed a large and well constructed hideout of the proscribed KYKL in the inaccessible Loktak lake.The raid which was the second of its kind in the Loktak lake resulted in recovery of automatic weapons, assorted ammunition, explosives, landmines, IEDs, Chinese grenade and propaganda materials like phamphlets and CDs.The recoveries included two AK-56 Rifles, 12 AK magazines, 174 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, 177 rounds of AK-56 ammunition, 50 rounds of point 22 ball ammunition, 20 UBGL grenades, 15 Anti-Personal Mines, 1 Chinese grenade, 8 sets of combat uniforms, one television set, one generator, six gas cylinders, IED materials and explosives, ruck sacks and pouches besides other war like stores and three country boats, the statement of the PIB Defence Wing listed.According to the statement, the hideout was well concealed and constructed in an inaccessible marshy area of Tharopat in the lake. There were six huts for stores and living besides one large hut possibly for training. The height of all the huts were only 4.5 feet, thereby concealing their location from even hundred yards due to tall Phumdis. Only one narrow water channel led to the hideouts which was guarded round the clock.Informing that the vital inputs of this extremely well sited and hidden hideout had been willingly provided by local villagers who are fed up with the extortion, demands and misbehaviour of the UGs, the PRO observed that the locals have expressed a strong desire for peace and tranquillity to prevail in Manipur, free from fear and kidnappings of children. The common people earnestly want that benefits of development and economic upliftment a planned by the elected Government of Manipur. However, this can only be done once the militants give up their gun for peace, the PRO asserted.Attributing the success of this extremely difficult and complex operation to the high levels of training and close co-ordination between the security forces and the Bishnupur Police Commandos, the PRO informed that a number of UGs were injured in the operation.Major General Shakti Gurung and General Officer Commanding 57 Mountain Division were also personally involved in the co-ordinating this operation, the PRO added.Meanwhile, according to information received by the press, today’s operation had been code-named as ‘Raid on confirmed hideouts of KYKL and UNLF’.Mediapersons from Imphal who have gone to get the news were not allowed to proceed further and stopped by police at Keinou and Khwairakpan along Imphal-Churachandpur Road. By the time the media team arrived at Ngaikhong Ma-mang Leikai from where the operation had begun in the af- ternoon, the operation had already been concluded. Army as well as the Police Commandos also did not allow the mediapersons to take photographs. Permission were also not granted to meet any of the police officers including the SP of the district.