Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 08:
The SPF legislature meet which was held today evening straight after the arrival of Chief Minister O Ibobi discussed at length the abduction of the three officials of the PHED by KLA cadres and the subsequent cease work strike launched by the PHED employees resulting in acute water shortage all over.
Speaking to The Sangai Express a well placed source said that the meeting took serious note of the growing culture of abducting for ransom by armed groups and discussed the stand to be adopted by the SPF Government in such cases in the future too.
The meeting also took note of the fact that the State police have not been able to launch an all out rescue operations following objections from the family members and civil societies fearing for the safety of the hostages, said the source.
The circumstances under which the Jeep carrying the ransom money for the hostages was hijacked by unidentified gunmen on December 3 was also discussed minutely during the meeting, said the source.
The meeting also mooted the suggestion of initiating an inquiry into the matter and take up action accordingly.
Steps to take up temporary measures to ease the water crisis in the Irriphal areas as well as in the VIP areas were also discussed and the meeting decided to take up some concrete steps to make water available in the VIP areas, added the source.
Chief Minister O Ibobi who came back from Delhi today informed the meeting that the financial crunch besetting the State will ease to a certain extent as the Centre has agreed to release Rs 75 crores per month and instructed the Ministers and all the respective Chairmen to look into the functioning of their Departments and submit progress report regularly.
A number of MLAs put forward their complaint that some ZEOs and Headmasters- have been randomly appointing cooks in schools under the School Education Department.
The MLAs also questioned why the crash programmes to be taken up by the PWD to repair all the roads have not seen the light of day till date, said the source adding that the MLAs urged for speedy repairing of the badly damages road during the winter season.