ANSAM Submits Charter of Demands to Guv Ajay Kumar Bhalla

Ukhrul, Feb 26: The All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM) on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the Manipur Governor, Ajay Kumar Bhalla over grievances pertaining to educational and medical institutions in Naga areas. The memorandum also draws attention to the factual grievances of the denizens in the hill areas for his kind perusal, consideration and immediate redressal.

The student body, on the education sector, stated that the hill areas in the state are economically backward and underprivileged. It also stated that it was a Herculean challenge for most of the parents in the hills to afford their wards’ education in the private institutions and outside their respective villages and districts.

“Whereas, all these long, the state Govt has failed to take corrective measures to ease the plight of the people, rather the government institutions are deteriorating day by day, leading to so many dropouts and frustrated youth increasing at a good pace in the state, especially in the hill areas,” ANSAM stated.

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The student body lamented that the major drawbacks persistently hampering the development of education in the region are acute shortages of teaching and non-teaching staff, and lack of basic infrastructures, amenities, colleges, school buildings, teachers’ quarters, sanitation, drinking water facilities in educational institutions, and other facilities.

Emphasizing on the health sector, the student body stated that the health care sector in the hill area has been neglected for decades by successive governments in the state. The brunt of this hard reality is faced by the poor who constitute 70% of the population in the region, with untold hardships to afford health care in the private sector. All the District hospitals, community health centers are running without adequate manpower, specialist doctors, and other basic facilities, it said.

Given the immediate need to address the grievances, the student body demanded adequate sanction of Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff in all the schools, Higher Secondary Schools and Colleges in the hill areas through rationalization of posting and recruitment to cater to the needs.

ANSAM also demanded installation of basic infrastructures and amenities including school building/academic block, student hostels for boys and girls, teachers’ quarters, toilet, blacktopping of approach road and Library with subject reference, laboratory with full equipment and drinking water in the educational institutions. Moreover, time to time repairing and renovation of those structures is essential to upkeep the institutions.

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In regards to recruitment, the student body stated that district cadre’s recruitment is highly necessary as a way forward to address the chronic issue of acute shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff, be it in colleges and schools. The long overdue regarding the recruitment process of primary teachers, especially in Autonomous District Council schools and other vacant posts in Tribal affairs and Hills, are stated to be needed to address the needs of the department and to ease the plight of the public.

The charter of demands also includes the establishment of more Central-sponsored schools like JNV, KVS, EMRS, KGBV, etc., in various blocks and ranges to meet the need of the people.

On the Medical Institutions front, the body demanded the sanctioning of adequate doctors and other manpower in the various health centres and to provide at least one specialist doctor in every department at every district hospital as an immediate measure.

The body also requested the upgradation of the District hospitals from 100 to 200 bedded hospitals to meet the ever increasing demands of medical facilities, as well as to open the Medical colleges in the Naga areas.

ANSAM fervently urged the state Governor to kindly look into the matter and initiate appropriate steps, adding his positive and prompt action will be a shining symbol of justice that foster equality and development in the field of Education and the health sector in Manipur.

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