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Items filtered by date: Thursday, 08 July 2021
URGENT NEED TO RAMP UP COVID VACCINATION IN MANIPUR'S HILL DISTRICTS
There is an urgent need to intensify covid vaccination drive in the far flung areas of Manipur. Many villagers in remote areas are still reluctant to get Covid-19 vaccine jab due to fear created by rumours about the vaccine. Roads in these villages are also in a bad shape hindering vaccination drive.
Villagers in the remote hill districts of Manipur are oblivious to the impending threat of Covid-19 pandemic. They are at the risk of getting COVID-19 if anyone with the infection happened to visit these villages. Timely COVID vaccination is a must and the only sure means to prevent such unwanted consequences.
Many villagers are reluctant to get jabbed with COVID-19 vaccine due to rumours about the vaccine that have been circulating for a while. Over and above, roads in these remote villages are in a pathetic condition owing to which, arranging vaccination sites in these villages is a hefty task. Phungyar A/C MLA, Leishiyo Keishing who is also the Chairman of Hills Area Committee along with District Administration has been organising awareness programmes on COVID vaccination in villages in his constituency for a while now. Awareness programs were held along with Litan police at Singkap, Marou and Singta villages just yesterday.
Though Manipur government has intensified covid vaccination drive in valley areas, not even 20 thousand people have been vaccinated so far in the hill districts. Some villagers believe that getting Covid-19 vaccine is similar to getting ‘666’ marked, which is believed to be the symbol of Anti-christ or the devil. Such rumour and many others have hindered vaccination drive.
After villagers repeatedly failed to turn up at Covid Vaccination Centres, the local MLA himself had visited some of these villages to raise awareness on the benefits of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and to clear away their doubts. Impact News reporter Kshetrimayum Premchand interacted with some of the villagers yesterday and witnessed that many of them are now willing to get the vaccine shots.
Around 200 villagers of Singkap, Marou and Singta recieved COVID-19 vaccine jabs just yesterday following an awareness program on the benefits of covid vaccination. On the positive note, eligible residents of 60 villages out of aound 140 villages of Kamjong District have been inoculated against COVID-19 so far. Meanwhile, the relevant authorities are making their best efforts to vaccinate the remaining eligible beneficiaries within this month.
JCILPS STUDENTS' WING TO BAN TRAIN IN MANIPUR IF ILPS NOT RECTIFIED
Students' Wing of the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System, JCILPS has warned of ban on entry of Passenger Train in Manipur if the Government failed to rectify the Inner Liner Permit System being implemented in the state.
Speaking to Impact News on the sidelines of the 6th Death Anniversary observance of Lamjing Meira Sapam Robinhood at Awa Ching in Imphal East District today, Convenor of JCILPS Students' Wing Bhuiyamayum Sazad said that the prevailing ILPS in Manipur is just for name sake as it lacks essence to protect the indigenous people of Manipur. He said that the system lacks 'Cut of Base Year' to identify outsiders and criteria to award penalty to those who violate the system.
Stating that JCILPS never gave it's approval for the current ILP system right from the beginning, Sazad expressed worry that once passenger train runs regularly in Manipur before amending the ILPS, it will be a great threat to the future of indigenous people of Manipur. He urged the Government to implement a proper ILP system in the state and warned of intense drive against non-locals who are residing in the state without a valid Inner Line Permit.
The Convenor also said that they will start identifying those areas of Manipur under Foreign names so that necessary measures can be taken against illegal encroachment by outsiders.
SAPAM ROBINHOOD FONDLY REMEMBERED ON HIS 6TH DEATH ANNIV
People fondly remember 'Lamjing Meira Sapam Robinhood' on his 6th Death Anniversary today.
Joint Committee On Inner Line Permit System, JCILPS observed his Death Anniversary at Awa Ching in Imphal East District in a subdued manner by strictly adhering to COVID SOPs. Family members, leaders of student organisations and Civil Society Organisations paid floral tribute to the portrait of Robinhood at the memorial event.
It may be mentioned that Sapam Robinhood succumbed to bullet injuries when police fired rubber bullets to disperse protesters demanding implementation of Inner Line Permit System on July 8, 2015. He was a class 11 student (Science) of Annanda Singh Higher Secondary Academy.
JCILPS gave the title of ‘Lamjing Meira’ to Sapam Robinhood in honour of his bravery.
THREE NEW MINISTERS FROM NE IN MODI GOVT
Newly inducted Union Ministers have assumed charge of their new portfolios after yesterday's major reshuffle in Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Government. Forty three ministers were sworn in to the union council of ministers yesterday. They included 15 cabinet ministers and 28 ministers of state. It was the biggest ressuffle since Modi assumed charge for the second term since May 2019. Modi government inducted three new Union Ministers from the North East region of the Country. Now there are 5 Union Ministers from the North East for the first time in the Indian Government.
Inner Manipur Lok Sabha MP, Dr. R.K. Ranjan is Minister of State in the Ministry of External affairs and the Ministry of Education. Ex-Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal holds portfolios for Ports, Shipping, Waterways & Ayush. Woman MP of Tripura, Pratima Bhoumik is Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. Arunachal Pradesh's Kiren Rijiju is the new Union Minister for Law & Justice. While Assam Lok Sabha MP Rameshwar Teli will continue holding Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah now holds additional Portfolio of the recently created Ministry of Co-operation. Jyotiraditya Scindia is the new Union Civil Aviation Minister while Hardeep Singh Puri is the new Union Minister for Petroleum and will continue holding the portfolio for Housing & Urban Development as well.
Anurag Singh Thakur is the new Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting along with Sports & Youth Affairs. Odisha Rajya Sabha MP Ashwini Vaishnaw takes over as Minister of Railways, Minister of Communications and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology. G. Kishan Reddy is the new Minister of Culture, Tourism and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region.
Mansukh Mandaviya takes over as Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Dharmendra Pradhan as Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship. JDU leader Ramchandra Prasad takes charge as new steel minister and Raj Kumar Singh is the Minister of Power and Minister of New & Renewable Energy.
Parshottam Rupala is the new Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. LJP leader Pashupati Kumar Paras takes over as Minister of Food Processing Industries and Dr Virendra Kumar is the new Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. Bhupender Yadav is Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Minister of Labour and Employment. Narayan Tatu Rane is the Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey takes over as Minister of Heavy Industries.