Govt to send team to assess border fencing on Monday
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN

Imphal, August 24 2013 : To clear the air over the confusion regarding reportedly loss of large tract of land of Manipur to Myanmar in the ongoing Indo-Myanmar border fencing at Moreh, the State Cabinet has decided to dispatch an official team to the border area for a spot assessment on Monday.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh at the Cabinet Hall here today.

The meeting decided to send the Indo-Myanmar Border Fencing Committee, a high-powered committee already set up by the State Government with Principal Secretary (Home) Dr J Suresh Babu as Chairman, to the border area to oversee the fencing works on August 26, state Government spokesperson and Education Minister M Okendro told mediapersons at his office chamber after the Cabinet meeting this evening.

The Cabinet decision has come against the backdrop of the media reports that large portion of Manipur's land along Indo-Myanmar border in Chandel district have been ceded to the neighbouring country due to the ongoing fence construction and the reported bid by Myanmarese army to set up a temporary platoon base camp at Holenphai village.

Okendro further informed that the State Cabinet also decided to take appropriate steps to safeguard the Manipur's territory in the border area after the committee submits its report on the visit.

Meanwhile, an official source said that Manipur Governor Ashwini Kumar is likely to visit Chandel district to oversee the Indo-Myanmar Border Fencing on August 27 .

Reaffirming its earlier stance on cancellation of holding of PMT for Manipur, today's the Cabinet meeting further decided that the state nominees for MBBS/BDS courses would be selected from the National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET) merit list, Okendro said.

He also announced the number of allocated seats of MBBS/BDS for Manipur from the Central pool quota for the academic session 2013-14 as 22 .

The 22 seats include 20 for MBBS and two for BDS, he said, adding the state nominees will be admitted to 16 different medical colleges in the country.

The Government spokesperson said that a total of 137 MBBS/BDS seats - 85 at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), Porompat and 30 at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences at Lamphelpat will be allowed for the 2013-14 session.

Furthermore, Okendro informed that the Cabinet meeting also decided to acquire 104 acre of land in Heingang in Imphal East district for construction of a large pony house to preserve and promote the endangered Manipuri horse.

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