Union HM apprised on tribal problems

Newmai News Network IMPHAL, September 16 [dropcap]T[/dropcap]hadou Students Association-General Headquarters (TSA-GHQ) has submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh regarding the issues confronting the Manipur hills. One of the points in the memorandum said there are 14 higher secondary schools in the hill districts of Manipur which are served by only 17 regular and 259 contractual basis Lecturers. Whereas, there are 25 higher secondary schools in Manipur valley area, which are served by 434 regular and 455 contract Lecturers. All the schools and colleges in the Manipur hill areas are in pathetic condition. Despite B.Ed course being a requisite qualification for teaching profession, no B.Ed study centre has been set-up in the hills. No power is bifurcate to the separate office of the additional Directorate of Education(S) Hills, the TSA-GHQ memorandum said.Another point of the TSA-GHQ memorandum is on the State Election Commission Manipur vide order no. 12/1/2012-Sec notification of July 27, 2012 that announced the general election to Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur Zilla Parishads and all Gram Panchayat therein 18 hill villages which included in the Gram Panchayat/Zilla Parishad constituencies although they came under the jurisdiction of the present Autonomous District Councils and pay Hill House Tax to the Manipur government through their respective Headman/Chief. “The villages registered their objection and the matter was asked as starred question no. 42, 26-06-2012 in the state Legislative Assembly. Subsequently the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) on 8th August, 2012 vide Resolution no. 26/2012(HAC) unanimously resolved that there shall be no local body election in the Hill Areas of Manipur other than the Autonomous District Council and Village Authority elections. But the Manipur government blatantly imposed the said election on these Villages. Meanwhile, Manipur Government formed a five member Expert Committee on 21st Feb., 2012 to monitor an implementation of Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act, 1971 and Manipur Village Authority (Hill Areas) Act, 1956 as well as other related rules, and submit a report in this regard within 90 days. This so called committee is formed without consulting the matter to HAC. The committee has not been able submit the report till date. These are the glaring example of defeating the mandatory provision of the constitution by the Manipur Government. There are many more incidences of such ultra-vires in Manipur,” the memorandum stated. It alleged that the Manipur Government held the six Autonomous District Councils election, only to save the image of Manipur Government in the eyes of Centre Government. They do not given their powers which are provision by certain act. And kept at Imphal (except churachandpur and Sadar Hills) like toothless Tigers, without deploy to their respective districts even after more than 3 years of election in 2010, the TSA added.