Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 29 2009:
Normal workings at the courts in Manipur were greatly disturbed for the second day today as advocates went on cease work strike decrying the suspension of the construction works of the High Court complex due to interference by the underground outfits.
Advocates under the banners of the High Court Bar Association and All Manipur Bar Association have started staging protest against the suspension of construction works of the High Court Complex at Chingmeirong which have been taken up as a component of the Capitol Project.
The suspension of construction works related with threats meted out by militants to the officials and workers in connection with huge extortion which the contractor failed to pay.
Strongly denouncing the militants disturbances in the construction works of the high court building, advocates have launched the sit-in protest suspending all court working and the same will continued till August 1 .
If the militants do not withdraw their threats and allow the works to resume, they will intensify the agitation, said spokespersons of the two bodies at the protest site at Guwahati High Court, Imphal Bench near North AOC, Imphal.The suspension of works by the advocates has greatly disturb the court working as hearing to many cases mostly importantly cases related with securing bail of men arrested by police and hearing of the persons detaining under NSA detention have been stalled.
Hearings at lower courts and high courts have been suspending from yesterday, a source of the various courts said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the works have been suspended from July 8 last after suspected militants attack on the house of the executive engineer of the state public works department handling the construction works of the project.
Militants exploded a hand grenade at the house of the executive engineer, Biradadhaja of PWD handling the construction works of the Capital project on the night of July 8 last.
Simplex company and state PWD department jointly handling the construction work the capitol project and the suspension of works will affect to the completion target set on March 2010 by the authority.
The suspension of the work related with the threats meted out by the militants to the officials and workers of the project and this may affect to the completion target of the High Court component of the project at Chingmeirong.
Officials of the state PWD admitted that the suspension of the works related with monetary demand to the Construction Company and department.