Renting out 'unavailable' rooms
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: February 19 , 2014 -

Manipur Bhavan's rooms rented out to MCD :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao

In the light of persistently pathetic and questionable manner in which the administration of Manipur Bhavans located outside the State, whether it be at Guwahati, Kolkata or Delhi, has been carried out by the General Administrative Department (GAD) of the Government of Manipur for the last many years, the news report about the rooms of Manipur Tikendrajit House located at Chanakyapuri, Delhi giving out on rent out to Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for housing a 33 kilovolt transformer that supplies electricity to half of Chanakyapuri residents may not be so much of a surprise to anybody.

And, the matter would remain just at that, an interesting news report to read that was carried in the front page of a newspaper for one day but with no hope of any improvement either in the condition of these Bhavans or any sincere efforts initiated from the side of State Government, particularly the GAD under whose jurisdiction the administration of the State Bhavans comes under, for bringing about any betterment in the functioning of these Bhavans that have been set up solely for the conveniences of the people of the State when they travelled to either Guwahati, Kolkata or Delhi for various purposes.

From our past experiences, this is one thing that we could assure to all who have read the news report.

This is because; back home everyone feels that whatever that is happening in the Manipur Bhavans outside the State is something remotely connected to them.

So, the public of Manipur , who are otherwise very vocal, and the countless social organisations in the State, which are at times more than eager to jump into any issue in the name of public interest, even if they read the news report, would soon forget all about it.

After all, they have so many issues to take up and their hands are full.

It is only when some of them come to face with the harsh reality of the administration and the functioning in these Bhavans or when they could not find rooms in one of which Bhavans during their visit that they would raise a hue and cry and question the State Government and its related authorities.

This was also precisely what has led to the latest twist in the story of the Manipur Bhavan at Delhi where rooms to accommodate needy Manipuri people are not available but there are enough that could be rented out to MCD.

Well, when the story of Manipur Bhavan at Bhangagarh, Guwahati was all about occupation by near and dear ones of Ministers, MLAs and other high ranking officials even before its inauguration and that of the Manipur Bhavan at Rowland Road, near Max Muller Bhavan in Kolkata is all about molestation of woman employed there or rape of innocent young girl who came to stay, should the public of Manipur who are paying taxes for running these Bhavans afford to remain indifferent to renting out of the hard to get rooms in Manipur Bhavan at Delhi to MCD for installation of power transporter for supplying electricity to the people of the area, thinking that at least this sounds rather an encouraging initiative taken up by the State Government?

Let’s think over this, and seriously.