Ibobi berates Biren Govt over politics of polarisation
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, March 03 2023: Opposition leader and former chief minister Okram Ibobi decried the Biren-government for casting hill-valley divide slur on the previous Congress government and said that there were no instances of hill-valley enmity during the Congress rule, in which the present CM was also a part.

Ibobi made the remark during the discussion on Manipur Appropriation (No 2) Bill, 2022 moved by chief minister N Biren in the assembly on Friday.

Taking part in the discussion, Ibobi expressed strong resentment that the present government's actions seem to show discriminatory nature between opposition and ruling.

Development initiatives taken up by the government are for the public but not for the ruling or the opposition.

For instance, a water supply scheme provides tap water supply to the public irrespective of their political inclination or belief.

Similarly, road projects, hospitals or any other development projects are for the public, he said with reference to opposition member K Ranjit's statement regarding a section of road left out in a recently concluded project.

Recalling how he, as a CM, took up development works without any discrimination between the ruling and the opposition, the former CM said that he convened weekly meeting of opposition members to know their needs in their respective constituencies and include them in the work programmes.

The only regret he had was when his government had to distribute equal amount of fund for PWD in all the assembly constituencies.

Considering the small budget allocation, he asked the then PWD minister to distribute Rs 1 crore each to all the 60 ACs.

However, the then minister allocated only Rs 50 lakh for Thongju assembly constituency, from where minister Th Biswajit got elected.

Upon learning the situation, he reprimanded the minister concerned and demanded an explanation, to which the minister told him that he made the allocation since the AC belongs to an opposition member.

He asked the minister to exercise impartiality in fund distribution, he revealed.

Ibobi urged the government to utilise the fund of Rs 35,273.79 crore as proposed by the government including Rs 5729.06 crore in charged account.

Out of the Rs 29,544.72 crore voted account, around Rs 15,000 crore is reserved for revenue, expenditure and salary expenses, which leaves only about Rs 20,000 crore.

He said that earmarking more fund for state matching share will be good for the state so that the government could seek more central funds.

The government assured of conducting local body election but the same is not reflected in the budget when he studied it.

It would be more convincing if the government reflects the election expenditure in the budget even though the government can always authorise excess fund through supplementary demand, he pointed.

Ibobi also said that the opposition will never criticise the government for good initiatives.

For instance, a blockade and bandh free environment brought by the current government is a notable step, he said.

He, however, decried the government, especially the chief minister for the consistent hill-valley slur cast on the previous government.

Right from the first chief minister of the state MK Priyobrata till today, there were no instances of enmity among the people of hill and valley.

The present CM was also part of the previous Congress government and well aware of the good relationship between hill and valley.

However, it is unfortunate for some ruling members to criticise MLA Meghachandra's visit in hill areas as an attempt to cover his lack of visit in hill districts while in the government.

Despite such disparaging remarks by some ruling members, people in the hill areas would definitely appreciate Meghachandra's visit, Ibobi said.

The former CM also stated that during his term, he visited several parts of hill areas for project inauguration and other reasons and recounted how the residents of Tungjoy carried him on a palanquin.

He tried to dissuade such grandiosity as it tantamount to differentiating the people on their socio-political status.

However, he had to ride the palanquin for a short stretch as the villagers strongly insisted.

Similarly, he received joyful reception during his visit to several hill villages.

Despite his relentless efforts to bring development and unity across the state, he could not fulfil all the aspirations of the public for which, some organisations might hold grudge against him.

But that could not be projected as lack of bonding relationship between hill and valley, he explained.

The former CM also recalled an incident in Senapati district in which he was greeted by some youths with a banner inscribed with 'Welcome to South Nagalim'.

Security officials present there suggested arresting of the youths but he objected saying that India is a democratic country and the youths are simply exercising their democratic rights of organising demonstration to press their demand.

Their act will neither make Senapati district a part of Nagaland nor the state government has authority to make inter-state boundary adjustment, he said.

Regarding the incident of banning entry of NSCN-IM's Mulvah in the state, Ibobi said that the itinerary for his travel to his home village was prepared by the Home Ministry under the authority of the then union home minister P Chidambaram.

Upon learning the plan, he strongly reject ed the programme and told Chidambaram himself that he cannot accept the plan as it has the potential to incite another June 18 like incident.

At that time, he was called to the national capital by sending a special flight, which he initially refused.

Before leaving Imphal, he issued strong instruction to enforce the ban considering the social unrest that would create and he still stands by his decision.

However, he felt sorry that some students felt victim of a violent altercation with security forces and he felt like he lost his own sons.

For that incident, some organisations held grudge against him but that is not a hill-valley divide, he maintained and added that he had to take the stand as the plan was against the common interest of the state and its people.

Despite the situation, he always prayed that the peace talk between Centre and NSCN-IM ends peacefully with an amicable solution, he said while expressing belief that the Central government, under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will definitely bring a solution to the Naga issue.

The CLP leader further recalled his visits to the national capital for seeking fund.

In those visits, the central leaders often treated the state leaders as if they are coming to beg for fund.

However, he always reminded them how Manipur was annexed by the Government of India and he was known for that statement among the central leaders, he added.

Ibobi also said that elec tronic fund transfer was introduced during his government.

UG organisations regularly deducted from the salaries of government employees from the cashiers, who distributed salaries in cash.

In order to resolve the issue, his government prepared Manipur Government Employees' List (MGEL) and introduced electronic fund transfer by crediting salaries to the respective bank accounts of the employees.

Moreover, his government introduced digitisation of treasury offices and computerisation of land records.

Bishnupur district was the first district of the state to complete land record computerisation, he said.

Recalling how his tenure was marred by bandh and blockade, the former CM said that infrastructure projects were delayed for several months and years due to indefinite blockades along the national highways.

There were times when he felt that he could complete several projects if he had a blockade free month.

After the construction of Ima Market complexes, his government initiated another market complex at the erstwhile Tombisana High School campus but the project has not been completed till date.

He is not saying that the market complex will resolve the issue of street vendors but it will definitely reduce the burden to a great extent, he said, while drawing attention of the House.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the short period of the budget session, Ibobi said that he proposed during the BAC meeting to keep at least 15 sittings so that the House could discuss the budget effectively and the members could make suggestions.

Unfortunately, the BAC took a resolution to have only 10 sittings.

As a result, the opposition could not place proper suggestion to the government for which he feels unhappy, he said while drawing attention of the House.

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