103 militants surrender in Manipur
Jagdamba Mall
A total of 103 militants belonging to 12 underground organisations operating in Manipur laid down arms during a home-coming ceremony in Imphal (Manipur) at Inspector General Headquarter of Assam Rifles (South) on April 30, 2012. This is one of the largest surrender ceremonies by the terrorist cadre in the history of Manipur. The militants handed over 103 weapons including 9 AK47 Rifles, 3 Lathodes, 15 Carbine machines, 59 pistols, three 303 Rifles and one each Rifles M-16 and M-21 Rifles and Rifles 7.62 mm to Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and Home Minister Gaikhangam led senior security officials.
The cadres are from terrorist groups: (1) United National Liberation Front (UNLF) 22; (2) People’s (PLA) 9; (3) Kangleipak Communist party (KCP) 10; (4) Kangleipak Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) 9; (5) People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK)14; (6) United People’s Party of Kangleipak (UPPK) 1; (7) People’s United Liberation Front (PULF) 20; (8) Kuki National Liberation Front (KNLF) 8; (9) National Socialist Council of Nagaland, Khaplang Group (NSCN-K) 1; (10) United National People’s Council (UNPC) 4; (11) Kangleipak Revolutionary People’s Association (KRPA) 1; and (12) Kangleipak revolutionary Front (KRF) 2.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said Naxalites and Maoists have posed a serious threat to law and order machinery.
“Peaceful methods like elections are primarily meant for giving say to people’s aspirations. Parliament and state assemblies are actually the forums for conflict resolution’ Ibobo Singh said. “But a section of people perhaps do not belief in the efficacy of these democratic and peaceful means. I do not agree with such people”.
Stating that the wave of democracy has been getting stronger and stronger across the world, he cited the example of Myanmar where peaceful democratic movement met a great success in recently concluded general election and said further that non-democratic and violent regimes and movements were no symbols backwardness. No government can deliver without active and continued support of the public and I am fully confident that people would continue to support our vision and policy for peace and development.
On this occasion, Chief Minister consciously avoided to take the names of United Naga Council (UNC) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Isaac – Muivah (NSCN-IM) which have recently threatened to sever all the links with Meitei Hindus for no reasons. This gives many silent messages to Naga militants and Naga opponents.
The surrender ceremony was attended by Chief Secretary DS Poonia, DGP Ratnakar Baral, IGAR (South) Major General UK Gurung and family members of surrendered militants despite having the unpredicted and unseasonal downpour in and around the State Capital.
Rajeev Sharma
Here is good news for the people of Punjab which will benefit hundreds of villages in the Hoshiarpur district. The Punjab government has finally got the Planning Commission nod, and more importantly Central funds of Rs 540.24 crore at 2009 price level, for completion of the extension of Kandi Canal from Hoshiarpur to Balachaur.
The Planning Commission approved extension of time for completion of the second phase of the Kandi canal project a couple of days ago. The Punjab government had earlier requested for extension of one year for completion of the project without any increase in the cost of the project for which investment clearance was accorded.
The plan panel has said scheme will be executed as per the approved outlays in the State Plan and should be completed by 2012-13 and plan accounts would be closed on March 31, 2013. The State Finance Department would restrict the expenditure to the approved cost and no additional expenditure beyond the approved cost may be permitted.
The Punjab government has also approved a special plan for the all round development of Kandi area and approved Rs.100 crore for digging of deep tube wells in the area which would irrigate 25,000 acre barren land. The area has for decades faced twin major problems of (i) presence of poisonous chemical elements in the ground water rendering the ground water unfit for human consumption, and (ii) the border districts of Punjab becoming defenceless due to water logging.
Kandi Canal Stage-I provides irrigation to an area of 22594 hectares with projected irrigation intensity of 79 per cent, benefiting 215 villages of Hoshiarpur District. The increase in yield per annum is 9088 tonnes. The development of irrigation potential has boosted the agriculture production and brought over all socio economic upliftment in the Kandi area which otherwise had been lying starved of assured irrigation, was totally rain-fed and had remained backward socially and economically. The increase in agricultural production and good return of their produce with simultaneously development of communication systems and increase in land values, have attracted the people from well off areas for making investment in this area.
Ministry triples financial powers of service HQRS to hasten procurement
Defence Minister AK Antony on May 28 gave his ‘in principle’ approval to a three-fold hike in the delegation of financial powers to Service Headquarters – from the current Rs.50 crores to Rs.150 crores – with the sole objective of accelerating the process of procurement for the armed forces. The decision was taken after Antony had a meeting here with the three Service Chiefs – Admiral Nirmal Verma, General VK Singh, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne — and Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma. A detailed review of the security situation was also made at the meeting, Sitanshu Kar, the chief spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence, said. Antony directed the three Service Chiefs to explore more avenues for giving permanent commission to women in the Armed Forces. Antony also had a one-on-one meeting on May 28, morning with the Chief of Army Staff General Singh, who is retiring on May 31. The meeting lasted 15 minutes.(FOC)
