Alarming of System Outdated
Manipur needs system cross checking and full scale repairing
- Part 1 -

By G.S.Oinam *

Whenever the questions of Manipur state problem arises, everybody says about law and order, militancy, excessiveness of security forces and lack of infra structural development etc. whatever public money spending for the development of Manipur does not served any purpose since many years.

Nobody ask and answer exactly How, why, what, when, where, who and any amicable solution. People and our politician talk about the symptoms only without mentioning the real problems. Now a day, these symptoms have becoming a problem itself. Safety and security of the people are ignored, security forces and the militants lynching the public.

People are dancing to the tune of them." Sit, keep quite and wait to die "but how long? Our people lost hope and aspiration, our youths have no vision; Strike, economic blockage every where for every three days; government has no valued; ethnic groups, group of people has becoming custodian of everything.

Our great three enemies i.e. health, ignorance and poverty can't be fight and challenging. Any government will suffer in such a situation unless our system is upgraded systematically or full scale repairing. It is socking to recall that Manipur was the land of festival and cheers and people were living peacefully and harmony.

1. Research and Development: - State is undermining due to lack of research and development. There is no any good facility independent research institution and laboratory. Data collected by outside state research institutions for study of Manipur are insufficient due to imperfect information, lack of technique, unserious ness and inefficiency of enumerators.

Therefore, targeting programmes and policies are sometimes and always can not achieve due to errors and mistake in validated finding. These targeting errors are arises due to imperfect information, inexact measurement of household characteristics, corruption and inefficiency etc.

2. National Interest and State Interest: - State policy on national interest, state interest and top priority does not clear sounded and state machinery can not influence to the people in the direction they like due to lack of technique, time and space, direction to media on awareness and promotional campaign.

Journalists are the watch dog. But it does not mean media should always criticize the government. Media is very effective in Manipur therefore; media men should be strong and balance in writing news. They must be able to say the good, the bed and the Ugly together.

3. Half of the State population is unemployed (educated and uneducated):-Out of 21.7 lacs population, about 8 lacs educated unemployed youths is registered at Employment Exchange Department, Manipur. More then half of the population unemployed. This pyramid unemployment is the origins of all problems.

State has no any big industry to absorb the numbers of unemployment. Urbanisation trend is very slow. Unemployed people are ignored of global awareness and also they have the disadvantage of searching job outside state from various factors. There is no skill development mechanism to the labors, workers, employee's etc. Competitive market skills failed to the young entrepreneurs.

Insurance, Banking and investment policy are failed. People have no banking habit and no enough banking facility available; even government employees getting salary by cash. There is no Employees Provident Fund office in Manipur to support private sector employees. Labors laws and rules are ignored therefore, private employees are always victimised. Their rightful wages are not getting in time.

On the other side, Government jobs are highly fashionable, attractive and lucrative. Attested and guarantee by a government employee or a gazetted officer is very common for nothing matter. State does not have Staff Selection Board to fill up the vacant post at regular interval of time.

Short notice, DPC by the Department concern is the common practices for the appointment of government job. Manipur Public Service Commission can not issue notice for higher post vacancy at regular interval of time.

4. Poverty in Taboo:- Population below Poverty line 28.54% in Manipur is officially recorded against the all India average of 26.10% .Poor and near poor population of Manipur will be triple of the poverty percentage very soon.

Surprisingly, people do not talk about poverty and their hungry openly due to fear psychosis of social obligation. However, Manipur society still remained co existence among the rich and the poor and they are equally participated in social gathering.

Now, the differences come into existence between the have and have nots, rural and urban in every field and the gaps are widen. Hence, our society comes into conflict, misunderstanding, lack of co-ordination and co-operation among the ethnic groups and people in general.

5. Population growth:- Population increases in geometrical ratio (2, 4, 8,) whereas production increases in arithmetic ratio (1, 2, 3).Total fertility Rate is 2.8% against all India average 2.7%. Manipur is the collection of small small ethnic groups. Controlling population growth and advising them for family planning to a small ethnic group is a very difficult one. However; crud birth rate of 14.6% is very law with compare to all India average of 23.1%.

6. Infra structure:- Infra structure is totally nil in Manipur. Power and electricity is available about 4-6 hours in a day. Power supply to domestic consumer is blinking, a very old conventional method of distribution power management to fill up the shortage of power supply. Therefore electric appliances such as motors, computers, industrial machines etc can not work properly.

State has no policy of a complete power management solution on distribution networking without increasing power generation. State power lost on distribution and transmission system is 65 %, (2004) highest in all India. Hundreds of potholes are found in one kilometer bitumen road of about 20 feet wide national highway.

Tap drinking water is available for about 3 hours in a few sub division of valley district even pipe line connection is given to all district head quarters and entire Imphal east and Imphal west district. Sewage and drainage system is not systematic. Irrigation system can not be extended therefore double cropping pattern is possible only in10 % of the entire arable land in Manipur.

Industries is totally fail except government run Manipur Electronics (MANITRONE) and small saw mill, rice mill, printing press etc. Private and public partnership, corporate sector is totally unknown. Public transport system is also becoming a major problem. Imphal Guwahati is connected by road only (there is no rail way).Strike, economic blockage is a common occurrences on the national highway.

Therefore, one trip of truck carrying goods for Imphal -Guwahati-Imphal took about l0 to 15 days. Beside, heavy taxes and demands of money to the transporter by the militants (hills and plain). Tourism and Hotel industries are reported fail. No development can be seen after and before 5 years interval of time period. However, new entry of reliance and aircel apart from BSNL in telecommunication services in Manipur is remarkably progress.

7. Health Problem:- Manipur in particular has to deal with multiple health crises, rising cost of health care and mounting expectation from the people. Epidemic disease as well as common disease likes malaria, leprosy, Iodine deficiency disorder, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis A &B, whooping cough, enteric Fever, Gastro enteritis, measles, dysentery etc. are inventing in Manipur.

Disease like cancer, HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, neurological disorder, Liver problems, skin disease, orthopedics problems, ENT, mental illness etc are serious disease and there is no super specialized hospital and research laboratory in Manipur.

AIDS/HIV cases of 4700 is recorded in 2008 against 2866 cases in 2006, 30,000 cases of TB of which 25% (8000) cases are sputum positive and infection e.g. 1.8% higher the all India average of 1.5% in the year 2001-02, Hepatitis A&B cases of 838, Enteric Fever 1421, Gastro enteritis 22434, Dysentery 7865 cases are recorded in 2001-02. (No updated records are available from NIC, Manipur).

Out of 9 districts only Imphal and Churachandpur District Hospital are well equips and functioning well according to report available from National Information Center (NIC), Manipur. Primary Health Centre (PHC) and Sub Primary Health Centre (SPHC) are inefficient of staff strength and equipment.

Many of the children (under 5 years) suffer from anaemia. Women and children are almost suffering from malnutrition, vitamin supplements; chronic energy deficiency and under weight. Adult reported thin (BMI less then 18.5). State should prepare a report at earliest.

8. Market:- Every item are reported import from outside state except vegetable; state can be specialized in the production of handloom & handicrafts, silk, organic food like fruits and spices however, export marketing is very poor.

Strike and blockage in the state capital and national highways for every three days unstabilised the market regulation. Start up small business failed automatically due to slow money velocity and irregular interruption of trade cycle.

9. State Budget: - Tax Revenue, Non tax revenue is lowest comparatively to all India states. Our Plan and Non Plan Revenue State Budget is only the grant from the centre, Center sponsored schemes, and the programmes from International Development Agencies. State's importance on fund rising is not clear sounded. Special focus and stimulus packages are not clearly reflected.

10. Manipuri Participation in National Affairs:- Participation and involvement of Manipuri in National affairs is totally nil except sports and culture. However, State has no sport/cultural relief fund organizations for emergency and encouragement to the young sport personal and cultural activist.

No government or individual(s) Organisation from Manipur have no programme or sponsorship to the young Manipuris for better participation and involvement in targeted education, civil services, corporate world, business initiatives, political leadership etc. State do not specialized in any disciplines and trades where Manipuris can participate in national and international competition.

11. Political Participation:- In a democratic country, political support is necessary in every matter. However, Manipuris are distanced from their political leader and political participation in a very negative attitude; they don't know how to create their good leader but they do destroy their leader when they think unfit.

Our elected representatives are often ignored that they are state law maker. Being an opposition MLA, their duty is to check the system of governance but it does not mean MLA should always oppose in every activity and decision of the government. Therefore, Manipuri politician have no longer vision of becoming rank 1 or 2 cabinets in Union Government of India.

12. Human Resource:- Lack of skill, inefficiency, attitude problem, lack of capacity building, Management problem etc. is commonly seen in every section and every department. Most of the private collages and government schools are sick.

to be continued....