SoO extended, 579 MOs to be recruited
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 29 2014 :
Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with Kuki UG groups under the aegis of two umbrella bodies namely United People's Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organisation (KNO) on the one side and Governments of India and Manipur on the other has been extended for another one year.
A State Cabinet meeting held at the Chief Minister's secretariat today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister O.Ibobi took the decision to extend the SoO agreement, which expired on August 21 last.
Talking to media after the Cabinet meeting, Minister of Education and CAF & PD, Moirangthem Okendro, who is also the spokesperson of Manipur Government, said that following the intimation from Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India on August 20 last regarding the extension of the SoO Tripartite agreement, the State Cabinet today gave its formal approval to the extension of the agreement.
It may be mentioned here that the umbrella body, UPF has strength of 1094 cadres belonging to 15 different organisations while KNO is an affiliate body of 7 organisations having a total of 1004 cadres.
The SoO agreement was first signed on August 1 in 2005 between the Army and the underground groups.
Later on, with the signing of the agreement between the groups, the India Government and the Manipur Government in 2008, ceasefire began to be enforced from August 22 of that year.
With the SoO agreement in force, a Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) with Principal Secretary (Home), Manipur as Chairman has been monitoring the grievances of the cadres and enforcing the ground rules by holding periodic meetings.
Today's cabinet meeting also decided for recruitment of 579 posts of medical officers in state Health Department, the government spokesman said, while adding that out of the total posts, 384 are to be newly created.
Minister Okendro also said that the State Cabinet has given approval for effecting a government undertaking for the loan to be taken by Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited from the Power Finance Corporation (PFC) under the Part A and Part B of Re-structured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (APDRP) .
Informing that the loan amounts to the Power Corporation under part A and Part B are Rs.31.55 crore and Rs.359 crore respectively, he said the loan is to be taken for launching one power project each in the 13 towns of Manipur.
Other agendas that were to be taken up during the meeting today were deferred for the next Cabinet meeting to be held on September 2, the Spokesperson added.