Restoring to the status of People’s Chief Minister
– with reference to action taken on CMHT news report
- Imphal Times Editorial :: January 16 2020 -

Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s quick responses to any citizens of the state have been often criticized by many.

There are times he was criticized by many for his open remark on Facebook post written against his government.

May be citizens’ considered some of his action excess and arrogant, but if the action is interpreted positively, this chief minister is perhaps the only chief minister in the entire country that always wanted to remain in touch with the common people.

The way he is working out to remain in touch with people almost all the time through Social networking site allow the citizen to take their responsibility in the making of the democracy – a people’s participatory.

The real of taste of democracy is finally felt to the people of the state.

Perhaps for the first time in the history of Manipur, people from across the state irrespective of their status can now exchange their views with that of Chief Minister of Manipur.

Participatory form of government which was only heard in books now is reality with the kind of Chief Minister’s initiative to get in touch almost every day through social networking site in today’s world of internet.

Media reports and grievances through writings did not get so much attention from any of the government other than his in the state of Manipur.

Criticisms on the administrations, policy and public services were just another waste writings earlier governments, however, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh showed his serious concerns to every news report as well as editorial that criticized the policy programme of his government.

The way the Chief Minister’s response is through open platform where every citizen can participate and expressed whatever feeling they have.

Except that he indulged on some unnecessary activities like detention of some facebook user which he felt it an insult to him or his government, everything is going well.

Imphal Times news report about a CMHT card holder lady being deprived of treatment on the ground that the medicine she was to be given cross the daily cap provided under CMHT and follow-up editorial column under the heading “What ails Chief Minister gi Haksel gi Tengbang “ has been seriously noted by the government and an enquiry had been conducted which later found that there were some wrongs in proving free treatment to the lady beneficiaries.

What has been expressed in the news report and the editorial was to point out the desires of many people of the state.

After thorough investigation, the Medical directorate authority recommended to instruct the medical Superintendent of JNIMS to “refund” Rs 20,000/- to the beneficiary for “out of pocket expenditure” incurred during hospitalization under CMHT in JNIMS subject to production of actual bills by beneficiary for medicines/ tests purchased/done outside JNIMS.

The courage of the Health Directorate of the government of Manipur under Chief Minister N. Biren Singh to report the truth needs to be appreciated.

But one thing need to remind is that some of the work being implemented does not reach up to the mark that people expected.