Manipuri bodies question Goala-Roy stand on devp council

SILCHAR, Nov 7: Different Manipuri organizations which include All Assam Manipuri Students’ Union, All Assam Manipuri Meira Paibi Coordination Committee, Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, Assam Manipuri Literary Society, Assam Senior Citizens’ Forum, Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association and Manipuri Diaspora among others have decided to seek again the intervention of the Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi for giving effect to the promised economic development council for the Manipuris living in 13 districts of Assam. In a resolution adopted at a meeting of these organizations held on November 6, the members at the same time questioned the role of Dinesh Prasad Goala, Minister of Urban Development and Housing, and Gautam Roy, Minister of Excise and Border Area Development, in the implementation of their demand.
K Somorjit Singh, one of the leaders, said after the meeting that “it is most unfortunate that though the demand of Bishnupriya Manipuris and Nath Jugis for development councils has been acceded to, the Manipuris continue to be neglected and deprived. He pointed out that all the representatives of different organizations would again meet the Chief Minister to press for the declaration of economic development council during the winter session of the State Assembly.
He recalled that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had assured representatives of the organizations in the presence of the ministers and MLAs of this valley to approve an exclusive development council for eight lakh Manipuris of Assam. But, he believes the official procedures in this regard might have been stuck up in red tapism. In particular, the two ministers of this valley came in for criticism for lack of any sincerity on their part in the formation of the development council and for their sole interest in garnering the votes of the community.
It was decided that Dr M Shanti Singh, president of Manipuri Diaspora, would coordinate with the various organizations and the officials of Government of Assam in order to achieve the objective of a development council for pacing up the socio-economic amelioration of Manipuri of Assam, besides promoting their academic aspirations and creating avenues of employment. (The Sentinel)