IMPHAL, Feb 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that the ongoing economic blockade would be lifted on March 13 and the people of Manipur would be able to celebrate Yaoshang festival without any shadow of economic blockade provided BJP is elected to power was a clear indication of the close nexus the Prime Minister has with the UNC and the NSCN-IM, asserted Chief Minister Okram Ibobi.
Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan here this afternoon, Ibobi stated that the Prime Minister should clarify whether the economic blockade would go on in case BJP fails to win the ensuing election. Such a statement that the blockade would be lifted if BJP is elected to power was never expected from the Prime Minister, Ibobi remarked.
Reacting to the Prime Minister’s claim that a Congress leader was consulted before the Framework Agreement was signed, the Chief Minister asked who was the particular Congress leader.
If the Prime Minister cannot name the particular Congress leader, it would be assumed that he was misleading the people of Manipur.
It was only today the Prime Minister clarified that the Framework Agreement did not contain anything that might disturb the territorial integrity of Manipur, Ibobi pointed out while questioning as to why the agreement was kept a close-ly guarded secret all these days.
He went on to ask as to why the contents of the Framework Agreement are not made accessible to the Government of Manipur and why it is not put in public domain.
The Prime Minister was saying that there would be 24 hours power supply in Manipur in case BJP is elected to power because he did not do his homework properly before coming to the State.
After the power sector has been reformed, people of Manipur have access to 24 hours power supply in a day.
Manipur power reform model was recommended by the Prime Minister himself for implementing in his home State of Gujarat. Moreover, officials of the Ministry of Power recommended that the Manipur power reform model should be applied all across the country.
Asking what has the Centre’s BJP Government done for development of Mani-pur, Ibobi questioned the pathetic condition of Imphal-Jiribam highway which was included in the Modi Government’s 100 days programmes.
Many Union Ministers have visited Imphal around 90 times but nothing has changed on ground.
It was not only Manipur. The Prime Minister was giving false hopes to the entire North East region but the Prime Minister’s falsity is known to the people of Manipur, Ibobi asserted.
When UPA Government was at the Centre, the Northeastern States were given special category status under which they were provided Additional Central Plan Assistance of Rs 800 crore, Normal Central Assistance of Rs 900 crore and Special Plan Assistance of Rs 450 crore annually.
However, all the Northeastern States were deprived of the special category status soon after NDA came to power at the Centre and all the additional central assis-tances were cut off.
For its outstanding achievement of having the lowest infant mortality rate in the country, Manipur was given incentives of Rs 300 crore, Rs 350 crore and Rs 380 for three consecutive years when UPA Government was there at the Centre. These incentives were also cut off since NDA came to power.
UPA Government funded 30 per cent of the total amount needed for setting up industrial infrastructure in the North East with a view to attract investors to the North East region. This funding pattern was also abolished by the NDA Government, Ibobi stated while questioning whether all these policy changes initiated by NDA Government can be incorporated within the Act East Policy.
Even as 320 acres of land was given for construction of National Sports University as against just 200 acres demanded for the same purpose. However, after a gap of more than one year and a half, the Central Government contended that the area allotted was low-lying. Even then, the State Government asked the Central Government to start NSU construction work at any place they preferred, Ibobi rued.
BJP has been shouting ‘corruption, corruption’ at Congress. Many central agencies are in the hands of the Central Government. If they dare, bring out a single evidence, Ibobi challenged. Recruitment of more than 400 teachers under RMSA and a large number of teachers for SSA were all done based on performance. Moreover, many recruitments were done through MPSC which was acclaimed as one of the best in the country and there was no political influence in any of these recruitment processes. But it appeared that the Prime Minister was unaware about these facts, Ibobi remarked.
There was no communal clash in Manipur during the past several decades. There was no communal confrontation in Manipur when there was UPA Government at the Centre.
“But when there was NDA Government at the Centre, Manipur was literally burning. I don’t know about Gujarat”, Ibobi stated. Whereas there was no communal clash in Manipur, there was the infamous Gujarat riot.
At present too, there is the burning issue of the Framework Agreement and nobody knows what will happen to Manipur if BJP forms the next Government, added the Chief Minister.
Source: The Sangai Express
