MAPAO ZINGSHO, SEPTEMBER 27: Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Tuesday said that the world tourists are attracted to places endowed with natural beauties not to the modern buildings.
Speaking as the chief guest at the World Tourism Day 2016 celebration at this picturesque Mapao Zingsho village inhabited by Tangkhul community, Chief Minister said that tourism is one of the fast growing industries without much capital investment which can bring about economic growth and employment generation.
Mapao Zingsho which lies under Saikul Constituency in Senapati district has a population of 684. But it has no mobile phone connectivity.
Expressing his happiness over the natural beauty and pollution free environment of the village, Chief Minister said that if conducive environment is provided along with development of some infrastructures the village can be developed into a tourist destination for which he appealed to the villagers not to cut down trees to conserve the natural beauty and clean environment and also to have good hospitality.
Expressing that the government shall look into the matter of unavailability of mobile network, opening of LPG gas agency and construction of a tourist auditorium as requested by the villagers among others he asserted that the government will extend its help in its capacity to making the village into a tourist destination and for this he appealed to all to join hands.
In his presidential speech, the Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam said that the village is a heritage and asset of the state. With the natural beauties and uniqueness of the village it would become a tourist destination. He also appealed to conserve nature and the greeneries around the village and put all efforts to make the place a beautiful resort.
Chief Minister also inaugurated Athan’s Home Stay in the village. Presentation of dramatised version of “Otrei khapung” an almost extinct custom of the village by carrying harvested paddy on the back to the village and Tangkhul folk dance and other entertainment programmes such as performance of various music bands, were the main highlights of the day.
Parliamentary Secretary M Prithviraj Singh, Saikul MLA Yamthong Haokip, Consul General of Government of India to Guangzhou, China Sailes Thangal, Government Consultant RK Nimai Singh, Additional CEO and former Secretary Tourism Nidhi Mani Tripathy, Special Secretary Tourism N Ashok Kumar, DC Senapati C Arthur and director Tourism N Bandana Devi also attended the function.
Meanwhile, in a separate occasion, Deputy Chief Minister, Gaikhangam has opened the Axis Bank Chingmeirong Branch today at Green Land Square Chingmeirong, Imphal East.
On the occasion, Gaikhangam said that people and bank interdependent each other.
“People are taking help from bank and banks are also running with the idea of giving facilities to people. It’s like let’s live together. Instead of keeping money with me, better to have the habit of depositing it to bank. For a substantive change, let’s go together hand-in- hand,” Gaikhangam added.
Sunil Gurbaxani, Regional Head, East, Axis Bank and Biplabi Patnaik, Circle Head, North East Circle, Axis Bank also attended the occasion. It may be recalled that currently Axis Bank has total eight branches and 16 ATMs in the State. It is India’s third largest private bank.
