ZYF slams Dy CM
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 21 2016 :
Deputy Chief Minister Gai-khangam statement 'bandh and blockade are not just hindering development but they are also disrupting peace' shows his own weaknesses to understand the reality.
It is the State Govt that compelled the people to resort to bandh and blockade when their shares are deprived and ignored, said a press release issued by Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) .
The ZYF has shut down Govt.Offices in Tamenglong district since February 17 and the same agitation would continue till February 22, in protest against the alleged State Govt's anti-development policies wherein Gaikhangam is accountable.
The Deputy CM seems not to understand the meaning of "equal development".
There cannot be development if development works is abandoned without serving the intended purposes.
The ZYF had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister on January 24 demanding for relocation of Office of the Deputy Commissioner and other district level allied Offices at the District Secretariat within fifteen days time which was already inaugurated on November 3, 2011 by P Chidambaram, the then Union Home Minister as chief guest, O.Ibobi Singh, the Chief Minister of Manipur as guest of honor where Gaikhangam himself was present along with several Ministers and MLAs.
The Central Govt.had sanctioned huge funds in the past and present for development of people of Tamenglong district of which people are fully aware but the State Govt.in collusion with few selected contractors had shared among themselves without any durable development assets being created at the district of which the Tamenglong District Secretariat is one glaring example.
Robbing away the development fund sanctioned by the Central Govt.without fulfilling the intended objective and purposes cannot be called as "development" but it is "deprivation" of people's rightful shares.
Flourishing of few selected contractors at the cost of needy people cannot be called as the "development of people" but it should be called "deceiving the people", the ZYF asserted.
The people of Tamenglong district have been suffering for the last many years due to State Govt's negligence and ill-treatment.
The State Govt's popular slogan "equal development" is suited only for the valley districts because the valley districts had developed under the Govt.The ZYF the congratulated all the representatives who are elected from the valley districts for fulfilling and materializing the interest of the valley people they represented.
The Deputy Chief Minister should wake up from his slumber and realize that the "development in the valley districts" is not development of Tamenglong district and cannot be called "equal development" .
Irresponsible utterance is not what the people's is expecting from a senior Minister like Dy Chief Minister Gaikhangam.
In protest against the State Govt's anti-development policies towards Tamenglong, the ZYF will continue banning National and International projects till concrete assurance from the State Govt.for relocation and operationalization of the District Secretariat is effected.
Different mode of democratic agitation in addition to the ongoing agitation such as indefinite blockade of National Highway No.37 will be followed soon, it added.