By R Lester Makang
UKHRUL, Februar 12: Amidst the 24-hour total bandh called by the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) protesting against the alleged lackadaisical attitude of the State government toward Ukhrul district, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh today laid the foundation stone for the construction of the upcoming District and Session judge court at the old SDO office complex at Rayotang in the district headquarters.
Speaking as chief guest at the foundation stone laying ceremony CM Ibobi appealed to the people to extend co-operation in completing the court building and other developmental activities to be taken up in the District.
The standing old SDO office building and other structures including the old Treasury office and the present Post office buildings are all set for demolition to give way to the construction of the upcoming court building which is slated for completion by 2017. Consequently, Bank and Post office would be attached to the District and Session Court building.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Dy. Chief Minister Gaikhangam, Parliamentary Secretary Victor Keishing, PDA Chairman and Thanga a/c MLA Mangi Babu, Hill Area Committee Vice Chairman and Tamei a/c MLA Z. Kikhonpou Newmai, Tamenglong MLA Janghemlung Panmei, Ukhrul MLA Samuel Risom and a host of Judiciary officers led by the Chief Justice of High Court of Manipur Shri. Lakshmikant Mahopatra, Justice N. Nobin singh and Justice Koteshwar Singh.
Ukhrul DC Hrisheekesh Modak led the team of the district administration in extending warm welcome to the Chief Minister`™s visit, while the people of Ukhrul led by the Headman Wungnaoyo Shimzingwo also attended the programme.
Meanwhile, the total bandh has severely disrupted normal life in the district with all the inter-village taxi and bus passenger services including that of Ukhrul-Imphal came to a grinding halt. Though a few private vehicles and sparse padestrians could be seen on the town`™s main road, all shops and business establishments remained shut during the bandh. However, no untoward incidents were reported.
TNL had called the total shut down begining from midnight of February 11 till midnight of February 12 in protest against the alleged insensitivity of the State government to the recent turn of violent incidents in the southern part of the district.