Our Correspondent
IMPHAL, February 17
[dropcap]U[/dropcap]nion Minister for Health and Science and Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan has admitted that Manipur could play a key role in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India initiative.
Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said this on the sideline of the a foundation stone laying ceremony of Technology and Skill development centre at Institute of Bioresources and sustainable development (IBSD) Imphal on Tuesday.Stating that Manipur has enough potential, Dr Harsh Vardhan expressed the need to upgrade the science centre at the district level as well. Informaing that the North East states deserved development in certain sectors, he also informed that the government at centre is committeeb to take the welfare activities of the NE states.However the minister did not eleaborate on the sectors.
While citing the importance of establishing such an institute in the region which has fragile eco-system by the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2001, Minister said that he had requested the chief minister of Manipur for the development of the institute (IBSD). “We’re trying to reorient the research institutions. The scientists should think out of the box.Science without connection with people has no meaning,” he added.
Union health minister who also holds the Ministry of Earth Science portfolio was here to inaugurate Vigyan Sadan, a science and technology centre at the Foundation for Environment & Economic Development Services (FEEDS) campus at Hengbung, 55km north of Imphal in Senapati district on Monday after the visit of Union minister of home affairs, Union Minister of Consumer affairs food and public distribution and Union minister of state commerce and industries in the state. The Vigyan Sadan was set up to promote Science, Technology and Innovation to scale up development in the region.
After inaugurating the Vigyan Sadan, the visiting minister rushed back to Imphal to attend a reception function followed by an interaction session with the Bharatiya Janata Party state functionaries at its state unit office located in Imphal last evening. Later Health minister had a meeting with the state Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh at the latter’s official chamber in Imphal. The meeting of the Chief Minister and Union minister was also attended by the state works department minister Dr Kh Ratankumar Singh. But what has been discussed during the hour long meeting was not known immediately. The visiting Health minister left Imphal after laying of foundation stone of Technology and Skill Development Centre at IBSD.
