ATSUM's highway bandh from today
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 20 2014:
The All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM) has decided to go on with their proposed stir of clamping an indefinite blockade on National Highways and imposing complete ban on Central Government projects in the hill districts from today midnight.
Speaking to reporters at its office, ATSUM president Muan Tombing said that the students body announced the stir after the State Government failed to translate its assurance, given on November 25 last year, into action.
All forms of passenger and commercial transport services would be totally blocked on Imphal-Dimapur, Imphal-Jiribam, Imphal-Jessami and Imphal-Mizoram highways, he said and added that ATSUM would also impose a ban on all the Central Government projects being undertaken in the hill districts of the State with effect from today midnight.
However, media and medical services would be exempted from the purview of the stir.
Saying that ATSUM has been apprising the Government of their 12 points charter of demands by submitting memorandum from time to time, Muan Tombing alleged that the Government has not done anything tangible so far.
On education sector, ATSUM demanded regularisation/appointment of contract graduate teachers (2006 batch), regularisation of contract Higher Secondary lecturers, providing proper infrastructure to schools, early setting up of BEd centres in the hill districts, power bifurcation to separate office of the Additional Directorate of Education (S) Hills and NIOs be recognised by the University and COHSEM in Manipur.
Regarding healthcare, the union demanded the Government to make all PHSCs, PHCs, CHCs and DHCs functional, provide equipment and depute doctors and required manpower, conduct a special recruitment drive for ST encompassing different grades of posts in JNIMS and strictly adhere to regional characters in matters of admission and recruitment of jobs as per the MoU signed during the time that RIMS came under the Union Ministry of Health in 2009 .
ATSUM also demanded effective governance in hill districts to secure proper functioning of the Hill Areas Committee and bringing the ADCs in Manipur at par with the ADCs in other North Eastern States, setting up of ST Commission and effective implementation of Tribal Sub-plan.
The union also demanded the Government to ascertain the total number of backlog posts in every Department and filling up the vacancies by holding a special recruitment drive for ST as agreed in principle during the discourse between GoM and ATSUM on November 25, 2013, increase reservation from 31 percent to 38 percent as per the latest statistical data reflected in 2011 Census report, cancellation of Grade-IV employees in Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat which according to ATSUM was conducted inside closed door and increase of admission and recruitment reservation for STs to 31 percent.