Ibobi fails to stem the DIPR rot

From our Special Correspondent

IMPHAL, July 3: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi who has been striving to revamp the moribund Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) to highlight the achievements of the three successive ministries under his captaincy knows that he is having a game fight since he cannot smash the deep rooted factionalism and anti-establishment groups within the office. All these years this important portfolio had been under some other ministers.

Ibobi belatedly learned that the DIPR was subjected to slow motion and non-functioning as a long term plan to sandbag him was since he sure to return for his third innings. Long time back the DIPR had stopped sending reporters and photographers along with the ministers touring various developmental projects. In other words, the people were not aware of the good works undertaken by the government. Having no alternative most of the ministers personally took several reporters in their tours.

When the new ministry was installed early this year Ibobi kept the DIPR portfolio to himself. Perhaps he planned to revamp the DIPR so that it could highlight the achievements of the ministry. However, he has yet to kick start the publicity campaign. He is hamstrung by the fact that there is no experienced professional in the department to guide him properly and effectively. Besides being the Chief Minister who is having most of the portfolios he is a busy man and have no time to give proper attention to the DIPR.

In this background it does not come as a surprise that the proceedings of the question answer session of the Manipur Assembly on Monday were not video taped. All these years the DIPR video tapes, the proceedings and then telecast the same in the Doordarshan Imphal. Inquiries say that the higher ups in the DIPR were not in the mood to ask the officials concerned to video tape the proceedings of the budget session. Once it dawned on them they will be held accountable there was a flurry of acitivity. A copy of the proceedings was obtained from a private cable service.  It remains to be seen whether the Chief Minister pulls up the scheming officials.

Recently one newspaper had exposed how the director is attending office just for a few hours everyday. He is not doing much to improve the relations between the government and the reporters. Whenever there was a crisis like boycotting the government news, the DIPR officials remained at a safe distance without doing anything. It was also pointed out that one retired additional director is involved  in all sorts of corruption.

And this scheming person tried to get appointment on contractual basis even after retirement. The Chief Minister has taken note of objections from some circles. If this person is thus engaged on contract basis there are many efficient officials with clean image who cannot be ingored.

Most of the higher ups in the DIPR are more interested in purchases, contract works and other works which involves huge expenses. But these officials are ignoring normal officials works, especially concerning public relation works with the press and people. On the advice of experts Okram Ibobi had written letters two times to post one professional officer in the DIPR. However, the vested interests had torpedoed it for reasons not far to seek.

It remains to be seen whether Ibobi will be able to revamp the DIPR by posting the professionals and jettioning the dead woods. Ibobi has not been making much headway since his advisers are some retired government officials who had miserably failed to prove their mettle. If Ibobi fails to wriggle out of the cocoon created by these bird brained advisers DIPR will not be revamped.

GoI assures Naga Hoho team on honorable settlement

From our Correspondent

DIMAPUR, July 3: Naga Hoho, the apex Naga tribal body, said the Government of India (GoI) has assured to hammer out an honourable settlement of the Indo-Naga issue at an early date.

“In pursuance of the decision of the consultative meeting convened by the Naga Hoho on  May 8 at Kohima, a five-member team led by Keviletuo Kiewhuo, President, Naga Hoho visited Delhi in the 3rd week of June and met responsible authorities of the Government of India engaged with the Indo-Naga peace process, the opposition leader of the Lok Sabha and the Naga Negotiator to impress upon them the need to hammer out an honourable settlement of the Indo-Naga issue at an early date,” stated a press release issued by the Naga Hoho on Monday.

The Hoho delegation had gone to Delhi in the third week of June in connection with the ongoing peace talks between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India, which have been engaged in formal dialogue since 1997.

Stating that the responses were positive and encouraging, the Naga Hoho added that the delegation was assured of the seriousness and sincerity for working out a settlement that is workable, honourable and sustainable at the earliest possible time.  The Naga Hoho team also had a consultative meeting with members of the Delhi Cell of the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) and the Naga Students Union Delhi to update them on the Delhi visit.

Tripura to have IIIT in Bodhjungnagar

Agartala, July 3:  Tripura will set up an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Bodhjungnagar, one of Northeastern region’s biggest industrial zones, a State official said Tuesday.

“State-owned ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation), NEEPCO (Northeastern Electric Power Corporation) and six private industrial houses from West Bengal have expressed willingness to be a partner of the Tripura IIIT,” Tripura’s Higher Education Department Secretary Kishore Ambuly said.

He said the State Government had identified a piece of land for the proposed institute in Bodhjungnagar, some 25 km from State capital Agartala. Besides Tripura, the union government has given its nod to set up IIITs in Assam and Rajasthan.

“The ministry of human resource development has planned to establish 20 IIITs on a not-for-profit public-private partnership (N-PPP) basis,” he said.

The funding will be borne by the central government 50 per cent, state government 35 per cent, and industry/private partnership 15 per cent.

“In the northeastern states, industry participation for capital expenditure would be kept at 7.5 percent instead of 15 percent. The central government participation will be at 57.50 percent (instead of 50 percent) while State Governments’ at 35 per cent," Ambuly said. (IANS)

SBI donates fans to GPS Toulazouma

From our Correspondent

DIMAPUR, July 3: As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, State Bank of India (SBI), Dimapur (Main) Branch donated 10 ceiling fans to Government Primary School (GPS), Toulazouma Village recently.

Chief Manager, SBI Dimapur Branch, in a press release stated that the chairman, Village Education Committee (VEC), Village Council Chairman and his GB colleagues and teachers of GPS Toulazouma Village thanked Ranjen Roy, chief manager, SBI Dimapur Branch and his colleagues for choosing the school under SBI Corporate Social Responsibility. The chairman informed that the School was recently recognized by the State Government and that so far none of the teachers have received salary from the government side. The teachers were being paid by the villagers through different collections/donations since inception. The School (Class A to V) is also the only GPS in the vicinity and has about 300 students.

Under this trying circumstances, SBI has come for donation of 10 fans which the School is really in need of it since some of the fans are already gone out of order and the students are having a tough time in the summer heat, the release stated.

“Another item the School is badly in need of is a Computer Set. At present setting of Question Papers for 300 students @ 6 subjects per student is taxing on the time of the teachers not forgetting the huge expenditures. So the School Authority asks the Bank to think about it in the near future,” the release added.

The chief manager and his colleagues TAP Paul and Ramesh Hasnu highlighted on State Bank of India’s responsibility towards social upliftment by donations to various Schools/Institutions/NGOs through Corporate Social Responsibility Scheme of the Bank. Thousands of Individuals and Groups are benefited through the Scheme throughout the Country. In this way how SBI fulfills its social responsibility unlike other Banks and Organizations. They exhorted the students to work hard and become great people in the society.

 The programme was chaired by the VEC Chairman, invocation by the Pastor of Toulazouma Tenyimi Baptist Church and vote of thanks proposed by Village Council Chairman.