Press Release – July 2011

Kamalanagar, July: Shri K K Tongchangya, Chief Executive Member, Chakma Autonomous District Council and President, Chakma District Congress Committee, while unveiling a banner on the Developmental Works of the Government, highlighted the various achievements made across Chakma Autonomous District Council since assuming power in 2008. He termed the scale of success as phenomenal with its imprint in every villages around CADC, notwithstanding the huge burden of debt, to the tune of Crores, inherited from the previous MNF led Government. He was hopeful of compounding the pace of development within the time left before the next general election.

While addressing the gathering he exulted in the fact that it is they who brought dignity to the Office of the Village Councils with the erection of Village Court Buildings in every village except those of Kamalanagar area, which are at various stages of completion.

Projects to bring in infrastructural revolution in CADC are being pursued under the Ministry of DoNER. So far, a many a ten DPRs have been submitted, out of which Modernization of Kamalanagar Town (Rs.24 Crores), construction of Judicial Buildings (6 Crores) and construction of Kamalanagar College (Rs.3 Crores) have been retained by the Ministry.

13th FC awarded a sum of Rs.11.00 Crores in the current financial year for the construction of a new Secretariat Building and a Session Hall against which 1st Installment have already been released.

Rest Houses at various important locations are being expanded and new constructions are also taken up. The vertical extension of Chakma House at Aizawl got completed with a capacity to accommodate as many as 50 guests at a time. Chakma Rest House at Lunglei got renovated and Rest House at Kamalanagar was added one more story. Aizawl being the capital city have had always registered the highest flow of guests and accordingly construction of a four storied Annex Building to the Chakma House has been taken up to meet the ever increasing demand for accommodation. Lawngtlai, the District Headquarter has always cried for one and in the interest of the public one is being contemplated. These apart, Rest Houses within CADC at Borapansury and New Joganasury are about to be completed.

To preserve and showcase the Chakma culture and tradition, Cultural Hall cum Museum at the heart of Kamalanagar town is under construction at an estimated cost of Rs.5 Crores.

Longpuighat-Kukurduleya Road, connecting the two valleys of CADC, is being constructed, under NLCPR, at an estimated cost of Rs.17 Crores. 20 KM of formation cutting has been completed and permanent works are already in progress.

Since taking over from the previous Governement yearly earmark of fund under Plan Sector has jumped up from 25.00 lacs to Rs.1.00 Crores. Payment of salaries, in due time, to the CADC employees is being steadily stabilized. Towards streamlining the administration and setting right the distribution of manpower, a Committee has been constituted to review the CADC staffing pattern. A standing Counsel has been appointed to give legal advice to CADC.

Mr. Tongchangya dismissed all allegations of gross fund misuse in the Chakma Autonomous District Council area, made by Rasik Mohan Chakma, President, Chakma District Mizo National Front, in the Aizawl Dailies and stated them to be absolutely baseless and politically motivated with an eye on the forthcoming MDC general election to be held during the early 2013.

He said, “It seems all is not well within the CDMNF. I suspect the President is losing his grip over his own colleagues? First, it was an MNF affiliated MDC casting his vote in favour of a congress candidate in the election of the Deputy Chairman, held last year. Now it is the President himself making allegation of corruption charges against one of his own best performers, Sri Hiranand Tongchangya, a MNF MDC, who has consistently won for two consecutive terms under the MNF party. I wonder what he is waiting for, without initiating actions against the offenders. This obviously suggests CDMNF is ailing. Under the given circumstances it is quite natural for someone to behave as desperate, making baseless allegations”.

“The mega construction of the CADC Cultural Hall cum Museum, instead of being appreciated, has turned out to be a sore eye for the President. It seems he senses a threat in the good work done by the Congress led Government in the Chakma District area. Otherwise, why would he purposely distort fact, as only 50% has been released to the contractor out of the sanctioned amount of Rs.338.68 lacs on the basis of the work done so far? As for the issue of diversion of fund meant for payment of pay arrears (read salary arrears) of 2009-2010, would have been best explained by him. Reason? The said pay arrears accrued during his tenure due to his inefficiency. While we took over from them, we inherited a shortfall in payment of salary to Non-plan employees under CADC, against one and half months. We carried the burden till 2009-2010, when an attempt was made to rationalize the pay but unfortunately, due to misunderstanding, the funds were allocated under Plan Sector and hence could not be executed for the purpose sanctioned. Therefore, the reason to seek for diversion of the amount for the construction of the Cultural Hall and we were obliged under L/No.G28012/3/2010-DCA of 30th March 2011, duly signed by Under Secretary to Govt. of Mizoram, DCA. His dubious intentions to mislead the public can be read from this account”, the CEM said.

He added, “Since 2008-09 fiscal, funds allocated against maintenance and black topping of Kamalanagar town road are Rs.20 lacs (BRGF-2008-09), Rs.26.10 lacs (BRGF-2010-11) and 15 lacs (A/P-2010-11), thus grossing to Rs.61.10 lacs against his claim of 103.8 lacs. Is it to fool the public by inflating the amount to almost double the actual figure sanctioned? He should have also accounted for the 2 Crores sanctioned during 2006-2007 & 2007-2008 under RSVY during his tenure, for the construction of internal roads in Kamalanagar (150 lacs) and in Borapansury (50 lacs), to facilitate a comparative study of works done under the two terms. As for improvement works in respect of internal Kamalanagar Town roads, our share is far from over, which had to be stopped due to onset of an early monsoon and our stock of 164.04 qtl. of Bitumex and Bitumen at Kamalanagar-III will speak of our intention”.

He expressed his shock, “I am surprised, why Rasik Mohan Chakma cannot rejoice at the budgetary increase of fund allocation in the Agriculture-Sector under CADC. How can it be a point of contention for him? It would not surprise us if he makes a point against misappropriation of funds sanctioned under various heads to the Agriculture Department, CADC. I would rather openly take pride in the fact that we managed to convince the authorities in the state to make provision for increased fund allocation in the Agriculture-Sector, given the fact that 95% of our population are agrarian. It was this 95% who have mandated us to power and it is our bounded duty to facilitate their capacity to generate income in tune to their vocation”.

“Encroachment of Govt. land has been rampant during his term. Paskora Memorial P/S, a private school, established at BPS-I, in memory of his grandfather, was constructed in a Govt. owned teak plantation. Lands allotted for EM quarters at K/Nagar-II were also privatized but we salvaged them after coming to power. Even the official plot of land at Randhakpur, allotted for AH & Vety Department was not spared.”

“The kind of gross irregularities witnessed during his tenure could be inferred from the way he violated financial norms while handling the release of 1st Installment amounting to Rs.398 lacs, against the construction of Parva-Siminasora Road, under NLCPR. Opening of tenders and release of the whole sanctioned amount to the contractor were essayed on the same day, which too without the security measure of Bank Guarantee from the contractor.”

CADC Day Observed

Kamalanagar 29th April’ 2011: The 40th Chakma Autonomous District Council Day got observed ceremonially in the CADC Secretariat Building Complex. The ceremony started off with the hoisting of the National and CADC Flag followed by the chorus singing of the CADC anthem.

All those who have been instrumental in getting the Centre to create a separate Autonomous Council for the Chakmas of Mizoram out Pwi-Lakher Regional Council like Shri Kristo Mohan Chakma, Shri Atul Chandra Chakma, Shri Hari Kristo Chakma, Shri Mideya Chakma, Shri Baneshwar Chakma were remembered with gratitude and honour.

The Chairman, in his speech, have been all praise for the Congress Party at the Centre as well as in the State for the generosity shown towards the Chakmas, since the time of Smt. Indira Gandhi’s tenure, in 1972, when the Chakmas were blessed with the Autonomy to determine their own political destiny. He noted that the good rapport between the Council and the Party still continues to this day which is evident from the fact that Direct Funding to the three Councils is being contemplated by the Congress led UPA Government at the Centre with the backing of the Congress Government in the State under the leadership of Pu Lalthahawla. It has been already agreed that all schemes under MHA shall be routed directly to the Councils as a beginning of making funds available directly to the Councils.

The Council has made it possible for the Chakmas of Mizoram to endure this far. Life would not have been as dignified as it is today. The council has indeed served as a sanctuary where they could dream of preserving and protecting their traditions, culture, heritage, music, language, scripts etc. in their pristine forms without out the dread of being assimilating with the larger and stronger force of other culture and perpetually losing our distinct identity into oblivion. It is but for the Council that we dare to dream to work towards restoring our lost Glory as a Community who once reigned Kingdom.

GCI sheets distributed to the poor

Kamalanagar the 19th April’ 2011: Chakma Autonomous District Council witnessed yet another pro-poor people programme of the Government. GCI Sheets for roofing have been distributed to the rural poors as part of the Rural Housing Programme at Kamalanagar under RD Block, Chawngte.

Some 101 beneficiaries were selected under the Programme, from different villages of CADC. There are 69 Village Councils under CADC. Each of the packages contained 32 numbers of GCI Sheets measuring 9 feet.

Shri Nirupam Chakma, Hon’ble local MLA did the honour to give out the sheets to the beneficiaries. While he expressed his happiness about the Programme, he requested all the beneficiaries to make use of the sheets only for the purpose they were meant for and refrain from selling them for money.

Providing proper housing to the rural population has been one of the pet projects of the present Executive Committee of CADC. Since assuming power in 2008, it has been one of the areas which have received so much of attention from the Government. During 2007-08 as many as 153 households were given Rs.40,000.00 each under this programme of rural housing. Again, during 2009-2010 some 36 households were covered under the programme. Fund provisions for these were made under BRGF.

Shri K K Tong, Hon’ble CEM, CADC today, in his address to people declared that fund provision, for rural housing, under MSDP have been made to benefit as many as 750 families under the whole Lawngtlai District. ‘This apart’ he stated, ‘a petition to His Excellency, the Governor of Mizoram, for fund provision of Rs.4 crores for rural housing has received positive recommendation’.

Besides, today, some 81 villages and sub-villages were given 10 buckets each under MGNREGA for carrying drinking water to the worksite.

CADC Budget (2011-2012) Session concluded

Kamalanagar, 1st April’ 2011: The Chakma Autonomous District Council Budget Session’ 2011 continued into its Second and final sitting. Today’s lists of business, taken up in the sitting, were Discussion and Voting on the Budget Estimate of Rs. 3,840.38 lakhs, discussion and voting on the Supplementary Demand, 2010-2011 to the tune of Rs. Rs.913.20 lakhs and placing of reports of the Audit Committee of CADC on the Reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the year 31 March, 2005.

In the morning session of the day, the fund allocation made in the Budget, under different heads were discussed and debated for a long two and half hours before it got passed unanimously. During the course of the discussion the opposition voiced their concern regarding the adoption of the RTE Act 2009 in totality. They opined that under such circumstances, the Council’s powers on matter relating to Primary and Middle school education may get diluted. The power conferred under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India, empowers the Council to legislate on matters relating to Primary and Middle School education.

The opposition also raised the issue of overlapping of fund allocation for the same work due to sourcing of funds from different sources. While the Chief Executive Member, Chakma Autonomous District Council assured them that to avoid such unwanted occurrences, the High Power Committee in the State shall be intimated and notified.

During the discussion on the Supplementary Demand, it has been suggested by the opposition, to study the head of accounts being enjoyed by members in the State Assembly under the Member Privilege Rule, so that they can be replicated here in the Council as per convenience for the benefit of the councilors. Finally, this year’s Budget Session got concluded with voting on the Supplementary Demand and the CADC Audit Committee Report, favourably.

CEM lays foundation stone for Cultural Hall-cum-Museum, CADC

Kamalanagar, 29th March’ 2011: The Hon’ble Chief Executive Member, Chakma Autonomous District Council, Shri K. K. Tongchangya, today layed the Foundation Stone to the CADC Cultural Hall-cum-Museum and to that of the CADC Wel-Come Gate at Kamalanagar-I.

The construction of the CADC Cultural Hall-cum-Museum has been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.5 Crores. So far no such infrastructure has been in existence. It has been a problem for the authorities of CADC as and when the need for organizing/conducting any official programme arose because of the absence of an auditorium. The completion of the structure will fulfill that gap. The structure besides hosting functions/programmes, shall also house the treasure of the Chakma Community, that are on the verge of being lost to obscurity due to non-usage, in the form of artefacts and heritage.

CADC Budget Session, 2011-2012 begins

Kamalanagar, 29th March’ 2011: The Summer (Budget) Session, 2011 of the 8th Chakma Autonomous District Council has begun today. Shri Sushil Kumar Chakma was on the Chair. This First Sitting has seen 19 members attending with 2 absentees.

The Question Hours was served with 4 Unstarred Questions and 4 Starred Questions. It has witnessed a healthy debate with the opposition playing a responsible role.

The Question Hours was followed by Legislation. In the first half of this session, the Hon’ble Chief Executive Member, CADC, Shri Kali Kumar Tongchangya placed the Budget for the year 2011-2012 before this August House for consideration and approval. This was followed by a presentation by him on the Supplementary Demand of Chakma Autonomous District Council for the year 2010-2011.

The Chief Executive Member, Chakma Autonomous District Council in his Budget speech expressed his delight over the allotment of fund by the State Government under Supplementary Grants for 2010-2011, to the tune of Rs.913.20 lakhs. He made it known before the House that the Budget Estimate, 2011-2012 has been prepared with Rs.2,432.18 lakhs under normal Grant-in-Aid, Non-Plan and Rs.22.50 lakhs under centrally sponsored scheme for Local Body Grants from 13th Finance Commission and with Rs.1,350.00 lakhs under Annual Plan sector. A target of Rs.35.70 lakhs is being made for local revenue receipts and thus, the total figure of the Budget Estimate coming to Rs.3,840.38 lakhs under Revenue Receipt head. In the Public Account, that is, in the Employees Welfare Cell the estimated receipt is Rs.33.05 lakhs.

Finally, an official bill, “Chakma Autonomous District Council (Profession, Trade, Calling and Employment Taxation) (Amendment) Regulation”, was introduced by Shri Buddha Lila Chakma, Executive Member i/c Revenue etc. for discussion and voting on the bill. Comments and suggestions were exchanged before the bill was finally voted unanimously by the House. The bill seeks to expand the range of the reach of the Taxation Department. If the bill receives the Governor’s assent, three more categories namely i)Estate agents or promoters or brokers or commission agents, ii) Drectors and iii) contractors/suppliers, would come under the net of the Taxation Department, CADC. With this the House was adjourned till next Friday.

CCE Training Held at Kamalanagar

28th March’ 2011: In effect of the RTE Act 2009, training on Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation, has been conducted for the first time at Kamalanagar today, under trained resource persons. The initiative for the programme has been undertaken by SSA, Lawngtlai District, CADC Area, in collaboration with the Education & Human Resource Department, CADC.

The occasion has been graced by the Hon’ble Chief Executive Member, Chakma Autonomous District Council, Shri Kali Kumar Tongchangya. The CEM in his speech stated that CCE being a feature, core to the RTE Act 2009, should be taken with outmost interest. It envisages adopting the practice of continuous evaluation of the students through Unit Tests on weekly or fortnightly basis with the abolition of the old system of assessing the students through Terminal Examination. He stated that abolition of Terminal Examination would de-stress the students of the burden they go through at the end of every academic year. Mr. Tonchangya also expressed his concern about the literacy status of the Chakmas, under CADC, being alarmingly poor which has been reflected in the recent census conducted by Govt. of India. Taking note of this concern, the CEM urged the teaching community to take the battle of eradicating illiteracy on war footing. However, he expressed his delight over the large turnout of trainees/teachers (more than 200) in response to the call to attend the programme, which is evident enough of the interest and dedication the teaching community has for the future of the budding generation.

Hon’ble MoS Shri N.K. Chakma Visits Thanzamasora

Thanzamasora, 26th March’ 2011: Hon’ble Minister of State Shri N. K. Chakma, Parliamentary Secretary Pu. S. Laldingliana and Chief Executive Member, Chakma Autonomous District Council Shri K. K. Tonchangya visits Thanzamasora today equipped with a team of Doctors, to take stock of the situation on the spot.

The visit has been arranged following the death of five persons due to a mysterious disease within a fortnight.

Mr. Chakma and Tongchangya tracked down the hill from Lalnuntui on foot and reached Thanzamasora after an exhausting five hours.

The medical team have been headed by Dr. Lalmachuana, MO, Lunglei Civil Hospital, specialist in Dialysis and Dr. Rotangpuia, a pathologist. On reaching Thanzamasora all the sick were assembled for examination and blood samples were collected for further investigation. The Doctors when enquired said, “It would be too early to say anything right now. Examination of the blood samples could shed some light as to the cause of recent deaths.”

While, earlier, the CEM, CADC met all the patients under treatment at Chawngte Hospital. As per Dr. Arun Singh of Chawngte Hospital two were confirmed case of malaria, one of chicken pox, one of diarrhea and the fifth was diagnosed Septicemia.

Mr. Chakma gave Rs.2,000/- each to the families of the victims and five quintals of rice, while Mr. Tongchangya gave Rs.20,000/- to the villagers being the cost of quota of ration for two weeks.

Aizawl Chakma House Inaugurated – 3 March 2011

Aizawl, 13th March’ 2011: The construction of the Chakma House at Aizawl which was started in 1995 with a provision for six storied structure got completed in November 2010 at an estimated cost of Rs.132.28 lakhs. The Hon’ble home Minister, Mizoram Pu. R. Lalzirliana inaugurated the House today in presence of the Hon’ble Vice-chairman, State Planning Board Pu. Lalkhama.

The Hon’ble Home Minister stated that the Centre’s decision to transfer all funds under BADP directly to the councils is indeed a boon but at the same time cautioned that it can also be counterproductive if the councils fail to utilize them properly and force the centre to rethink its decision. Therefore, urged the authorities of CADC to take care not to squander this golden opportunity.

While expressing his happiness over the completion of the construction of the Chakma House the Hon’ble CEM, CADC Shri K K Tongchongya stole the time to clarify reports on News papers depicting Pu Thanhawla, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Mizoram making adverse comments on the Chakmas being a nuisance as being not true. He informed the gathering that the CM absolutely denied when asked about the matter and told him it could be a negative propaganda to tarnish their rapport.

The House stands on an area of 2307.75 Sqm. The plot of land was owned on 12th September 1994. The construction of the House has been completed in three phases. In the first phase Basement-I, Basement-II and the Ground floor were completed. The first floor of the House was completed in 2003. Whereas due to increasing needs for accommodation for officials coming to Aizawl on official works, the building had to be opened for public services without any formal inauguration. The inaugural programme was organized with the completion of the final two floors. The plinth area of the building is 319.10 Sqm. The House has in all 45 rooms with a capacity to accommodate as many as 50 guests at a time. Three rooms out of these are being alloted for exclusive use by Bhikkhus and one reserved for Vipassana meditators.

Bhikkus were invited from Kamalanagar to attend the programme in the evening. Prayers from the Bhikkhus were heard in the evening to sanctify the inauguration.

Press Release – 12 Feb 2011

Longpuighat 12th Feb, 2011: The Hon’ble Chief Executive Member, Chakma Auonomous District Council, Shri K. K. Tongchangya inaugurated the Longpuighat Circle Education Office today. This has been the second Circle Education Office being opened within a month, the first being at Borapansury.

The whole of Chakma Autonomous District Council is divided into three Education Circles namely Kamalanagar, Borapansury and Longpuighat. The arrangement has been in place since long back but successive Governments have failed to establish the offices here. By having established the offices, Pu Tongchangya stated that they have fulfilled one of the long felt needs of the people. He also added that the offices would be of great help to see the Right to Education Act being implemented properly. Besides it would also take the administration closer to the people and thereby contribute towards decentralization of power.