| Ibobi takes bank route |
| Imphal, March 20 : The Okram Ibobi Singh government has devised a new system for payment of salaries to check extortion by militants from the Manipur government employees through cashiers and drawing and disbursal officers (DDO). Under the new system, the distribution of salaries of all employees would be paid through banks with effect from the month of April. Earlier, cashiers and DDOs of the respective departments distributed the salaries. The move followed reports that militant groups were forcing the cashiers and DDOs to collect certain portions of salaries of all the employees at the time of distribution every month. Announcing the new mechanism at the Assembly today, chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh said this was the “first step” towards putting a stop to siphoning of government money for funding militant groups. Stating that engineers were facing threats from militants at the time of distribution of cheques to contractors, Ibobi Singh said the government was considering payment of the contractors and work agencies directly by the finance department. “Engineers are targeted and threatened by militants. The government is working on another mechanism to stop this menace. We may not be able to plug the leakage completely. But we are making all out efforts to cut off funds to militants,” Ibobi Singh said. He said last night’s encounter at 9.45pm at Naorem of Bishnupur district, in which Lt Satir Singh of 12 Maratha Light Infantry was killed and another jawan wounded, followed a grenade attack by a group of militants on the residence of an executive engineer of Loktak Development Authority, Oinam Ibopishak. Ibobi Singh said the engineer already went into hiding following threats from militants. No one, however, was injured in the attack. Ibobi Singh, who is also the home minister, announced the measures while responding to a call attention motion moved jointly by Okram Joy Singh and R.K. Anand Singh of the Manipur Peoples Party. The two members wanted the government to intervene into extortion by militants along the Imphal-Kohima highway and also “illegal” collection of toll tax and entry fees by the Dimapur Municipal Council. They said from this month, the Dimapur Municipal Council has started taking taxes, including goods tax, from Manipur supply trucks. “The law department is examining whether the tax imposed by the Dimapur Municipal Corporation is legal. If it is legal, the Manipur government cannot say anything. But if it is illegal, the state government will take up the matter with the Nagaland government and even with the Centre,” Ibobi Singh said. Listing measures for safety of supply trucks along the Imphal-Kohima highway, Ibobi Singh informed the House that a joint control room of police, the Assam Rifles and the army opened at the headquarters of 59 Mountain Brigade in Senapati district was overseeing safety of the truckers. In addition to patrolling by security forces, the vehicles were moving in convoy system with escorts by the security forces in between Imphal and Mao gate. |