Imphal, July 20 2017: Chief Minister N Biren who is also in charge of Home Department has categorically stated that the incumbent coalition Government led by BJP would not stray away from but uphold the resolutions adopted by the previous Government regarding the territorial integrity of Manipur .
The Chief Minister made this statement while discussing the Governor’s address given to the State Assembly on March 21 this year and amendment motions raised by the Opposition party .
He reminded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced at Imphal that the territorial integrity of Manipur would not be affected even by an inch .
Responding to an amendment motion raised by Opposition Member Kh Joykisan regarding the Governor’s address completely skipping the issue of Framework Agreement signed between Government of India and NSCN-IM, Biren pointed out that the State Government was never a party to the dialogue process .
The dialogue has been going on as a bilateral process.
Nonetheless, the previous State Government was urging the Government of India to take it (State Government) on board the dialogue process and inform the people of Manipur about the political dialogue .
The State Government has been demanding any point of negotiation which impinges upon the interest of Manipur should not be concealed but divulged .
Whether it is the Framework Agreement or any other agreement, the incumbent Government would not deviate even by an inch from the resolution adopted by the previous Government on the territorial integrity of Manipur, Biren asserted .
Manipur is an immovable asset of all the people settled within its territory since the past .
Since the State is not a party to the dialogue process, it would be imprudent to reflect the Framework Agreement in the Governor’s address .
If the dialogue process impinges upon the interest of Manipur in any manner, no decision should be taken without consulting the State Government and the people of Manipur, and this is the position of the incumbent Government, Biren asserted .
Assuring that all the good works done by the previous Government would be carried forward, Biren noted that enforcement of Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) or a similar mechanism is a popular demand .
Even though the previous Government tabled three Bills in the State Assembly and got them passed for protection of indigenous people, they were embroiled in controversies resulting in a vociferous uproar .
Of the three Bills, the President of India held back two while the other was sent back without giving consent.
Even as renewed efforts were made to table a new Bill after consulting all stake holders, the same efforts could not fructify as the State Assembly election intervened, Biren stated .
Referring to the ugly precedents, Biren maintained that any Bill on ILPS cannot be drafted in haste.
The incumbent Government is committed to take forward all the good works done by the previous Government and protect the indigenous population including both recognised and unrecognised tribes, Biren claimed .
The previous Government enacted an Act for protection of paddy fields in 2014.There are many people who have to pay fines of up to Rs two lakh for constructing different structures on paddy fields .
” I have talked with DCs, SDOs and SDCs regarding the matter and a process of enquiry has been initiated”, Biren informed the House .
Claiming that the Government’s Anti-Corruption Cell is a big success, Biren conceded that requisite members were not nominated after the Lok Ayukta Bill has been passed .
The Government would soon nominate the Chairperson and other persons so that Lok Ayukta Bill can be enforced effectively .
As it would be impossible to provide Government jobs to all unemployed youth, the Government has formulated a State Mission for Skill Development.
The Government has already taken up due initiatives to promote self-employment .
The Government is committed to check devastating floods in the valley and landslides in the hills.
In the first phase, beds of Imphal River, Nambul River and Kongba River would be dredged .
Earlier, raising an amendment motion, Kh Joykisan remarked that the Governor’s address lacked thoroughness in addition to leaving out many key areas .
Pointing out that the Governor’s address did not mention anything about ILPS, Joykisan remarked that the State Government seemed to be marginalising the popular issue .
He further pointed out that the Governor’s address did not mention anything on the Framework Agreement and the growing need to protect agricultural land .
Govindas Konthoujam further pointed out that the Governor’s address said nothing about the pressing issues of unemployment and flood control .
Works Minister Th Biswajit and MLA Awangbow Newmai too took part in discussing the Governor’s address.
Source: The Sangai Express
