Imphal, Dec 14: A Manipur Chief Minister Okram Singh-led ministerial delegation has begun inaugurating newly-declared districts on Wednesday.
Jiribam becomes the first district among seven newly created districts, to be inaugurated, on Wednesday with the active participation of ministers, officials and the public.
Even though under Imphal East district, Jiribam sub-division it is located on the western front of the state bordering Assam’s Cachar district and geographically about 220 km away from the state’s capital.
The chief minister was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, senior congress MLA Thoudam Debendra Singh, State Chief secretary Oinam Nabakishore and government consultant Dr RK Nimai. They were air lifted from Imphal to inaugurate the new district, sources reaching here said. The formal Inauguration function was held at Jiribam chingdong Leikai, about 35 km south of Jiribam town, it added.
The chief minister, deputy chief minister and others ministers including Revenue minister Irengbam Hemochandra, and the Commerce and Industries Minister Govindas Konthoujam also spoke during the occasion.
In his speech, the chief minister assured a new fire substation and matriculation examination centres in the Barak circle of the new district.
Also, the deputy chief minister appealed for cooperation to the government in taking up developmental activities.
The proposed inauguration of another newly created Pherzawl district in Churachandpur on Wednesday has been cancelled ‘due to unavoidable circumstances,’ reports from Jiribam claimed.
On December 8 midnight, the Congress Government in Manipur created seven new districts, taking the total to 16 in the tiny and volatile border state. The newly-created districts are Jiribam, Kangpokpi, Kakching, Tengnoupal, Kamjong, Pherzawl and Noney which were carved out of the districts of Imphal East, Senapati, Thoubal, Chandel, Ukhrul, Churachandpur and Tamenglong districts, in that order.
However, the most thickly populated Imphal West and Bishnupur districts remained unchanged.