IMPHAL, November 22: Imphal Municipal Council has complained that despite its sincere efforts for the success of Manipur Sangai Festival, it has been totally neglected by the organisers.
Convenor of the seven member committee of IMC constituted with the purpose of looking after the cleanliness and sanitation works at the festival site, Kh Umesh said they have been snubbed by the tourism department. In this regard, the IMC has submitted a memorandum noon today to the Chief Minister O Ibobi and Principal Secretary, Tourism, he said adding that its staff will not engage in its scheduled work for cleaning the festival site until there is positive response from the parties concerned.
In the memorandum, the councillors said that there were serious irregularities committed by the director of tourism and other responsible officials causing humiliation and insult to the councillors and its staff who are discharging their duties sincerely.
Speaking to the media persons during a press conference, Kh Umesh said that altogether 70 labourers were deployed to keep the festival area neat and clean, even though there was a lack of man power within the Imphal Municipality Council. It is a question about protecting the image of the state in front of delegates who have come from other countries. After the formation of the committee on November 15 under the head of A Nimai as the chairman, Kh Umesh as the convenor and executive member W Rajen as secretary for the sanitary section after the Imphal Municipal Council received an official letter from Rajesh Kumar, Principal Secretary of tourism and Th Chitra Devi, Director of Tourism on October 26 to look after the cleaning works at the festival area.
He further said that Imphal Municipal Council had submitted a name of 70 persons as workers for the cleaning job and other officials for supervision along with their photographs for issuance of pass. However, till now not a single pass has been provided to IMC staff, and they have to buy Rs 20 ticket to enter the site.
He also said that the IMC provided a white cap and Red T shirt to all workers as uniform while they were on duty for easy identification. They have engaged two dumper pressure vehicles – a Tata Magic and Maruti Van – and installed 10 garbage disposal containers around the festival site, he said
From a security point of view they had placed transparent wicker bins along the main road and also 50 litres plastic bags near the food stall inside, he said
He also alleged that the tourism department has also initially assigned them the work for management of vehicle parking during the festival but it was ultimately allocated to a private firm, he said.
He further said that the tourism department was not even aware of who is the present chairperson of the IMC as the invitation came in the name of its former chairperson N Raghumani and not in the name of the present chairperson A Nimai, that too just two and a half hours before the grand opening. The councillors were not included in the invitation list, he bemoaned.
He said that the IMC totally condemns the activities of the tourism department on the subjects and resolve to stay away from the Sangai festival from yesterday 7 pm two hours before the close of the first day of the ten-day long tourism festival. He added that they will continue their normal duty, he said.