Sending kids to Govt schools : Does that apply to Ministers ?
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: May 28, 2012 -

For a change, it is heartening to know that some of the newly inducted Ministers in the Council of Ministers led by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh have been trying to put their best feet forward to show that they mean business.

Over the last couple of weeks, these Ministers have been spelling out their priorities ranging from overhauling the existing education system within six months to implementation of a new industrial policy that aims at bring about development in industrial sector of the state.

Soon after taking over the charge of Education, Moirangthem Okendro assured a visible change in the existing education system within six months.

On the other hand, Govindas Konthoujam, who is the Minister in-charge of Commerce and Industries, went on to say on record that he would ensure implementation of a new industrial policy within two months' time for giving a boost to industrial sector of the state.

In between, many MLAs and Ministers too have taken upon the task of conducting extensive tour of their respective Assembly Constituencies, both at the hills and the valley districts, to get in touch with the people and understand their grievances.

Considering the nature of the governance in the state down the years and the general attitude of the Ministers and MLAs, who remained confined within the warm comfort of their office rooms or homes once elected, earnestness that we see on the part of the elected representatives this time is appreciable.

We hope this trend does not remain just a fad that would disappear into thin air after the initial zeal.

It's good to know that the Education Minister and the Minister of Commerce & Industries have respectively set their eyes on streamlining of the education system and development of industrial sector. We feel that development in these two sectors would definitely help in solving many of the problems besetting the state today.

In fact, the two sectors are also closely interlinked that while a sound education system can uplift the society from its present state of restlessness, a vibrant industrial work force can infuse new life to a dormant economy.

With regard to industrial development, we have already seen how Industrial Policy Manipur, 1996 and Industrial Policy, 2002 miserably failed to deliver the goods.

Our hope now lies entirely on the Draft Industrial and Investment Policy, 2011, of which the honourable Minister of Commerce & Industries had hinted of its implementation within two months.

We have to wait and see how the draft policy is translated into action. But what we would like to underline here before anything else is the need for creating a friendly environment for investors who would be keen to invest in Manipur.

On the other hand, honourable Education Minister has been leaving no opportunities behind from spelling out his idea of overhauling an education system that has become synonymous with corruption and scandal.

From the colour to be painted on government school buildings to differentiate from private schools to the introduction of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for the administration of these schools and from giving financial incentive to students from economically weaker sections of the society to taking up action against Government teachers who do not send their children to government schools, the list is endless.

All these proposals are okay and we may have nothing to say against them. But one thought that just cross our mind is how many MLAs or Ministers in Manipur does actually send their children to Government schools?