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Imphal, November 14 : Mao Students' Union (MSU) has expressed strong resentment that Government of Manipur is yet to provide security to the Tadubi branch of State Bank of India.

Speaking to some mediapersons during a recent inspection tour of Mao and nearby villages, MSU president Lokho Ojo Mao said due to constant appeals by various organisations of mao and nearby areas an official team of SBI conveyed its willingness to establish a branch office at a suitable location in between Mao and Maram.

Consequently spot location surveys were jointly conducted by mao area organisations and the SBI officials that resulted in identifying a private building at near Tadubi bazar which is also close to the National Highway 39 .

Informing that the SBI officials were also impressed in finding the double storey building which is flanked by a post of the Assam Rifles at about 200 metre distance and Tadubi police station even more nearer at about 150 metres, Lokho also said the bank officials pledged commitment in the setting up of the SBI branch.

However, joy of the locals that the long awaited bank branch would be a reality was short-lived as the State Government snubbed public proposal to provide at least 15 personnel exclusively for duty in the SBI branch.

He opined that refusal of the state authorities to assign requisite number of security personnel at the bank is yet another manifestation that Government of Manipur is undermining interest of people in Mao-Maram areas as well as denying economic rights of the locals.

the MSU functionary pointed out that benefits supposed to be reaped by the local workforce engaged in welfare programmes including NREGS is insignificant as the people have to withdraw wage money from either Maram or Senapati district headquarters.

Recounting that a memorandum proposing security personnel provision for the SBI branch had already been submitted to the Chief Minister, Lokho cautioned that failure to redress problems faced by the Mao-Maram people would compel resorting to intense agitation.