Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya celebrate 47th Statehood Day

Our Correspondent

Imphal, Jan. 21 (EMN): Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya on Monday celebrated their 47th Statehood Day.

The erstwhile princely states of Manipur and Tripura became full-fledged states on January 21, 1972.

Meghalaya was part of Assam before becoming a full-fledged state under the North Eastern Region (Re-Organisation) Act, 1971.

Addressing the gathering on occasion at the Manipur Rifles parade ground, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that a new revolution in education sector should start from grassroots so that the state could produce hard working, dedicated, sincere and patriotic citizens in the coming days.

Pointing out that the people of Manipur have potential and talents, he said the state can be developed if avenues are created for those talented people.

Singh urged all sections of the society to extend their support to the government for all round development of the state.

Talking about the ‘Go to Village’ mission which was introduced by the state government to provide good governance at the doorsteps of the people, he said the mission was launched with a view to addressing the grievances of villagers.

The chief minister appealed the officers in concerned to verify those left out beneficiaries at the earliest so that the eligible beneficiaries can avail the benefits under various welfare schemes.

According to IANS, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb speaking on the occasion said that his government’s main goal was to make the state “drug free” and ensure efficient and transparent governance.

It was for the first time that Deb addressed the main function of the Statehood Day after becoming the Chief Minister around ten months ago after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in alliance with the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) trounced the Communist Party of India-Marxist led Left Front.

“The BJP-IPFT government’s main mission is to deliver efficient and transparent governance. The law enforcing agencies have maximised their insistent efforts to make Tripura a “drug free state”, as declared by the BJP government,” Deb said.

“With a decrease in drug related activities, crime against women has also reduced by 19 per cent during the past ten months,” Deb said.

In Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday announced a 100-day programme for the overall development of the state on the occasion of 47th Statehood Day.

Addressing an official function here, Sangma said the secretariat building would soon switch to LED lights as part of the government’s initiatives to save energy, PTI report stated.

“The urban department will also be asked to replace street lights with LED lights. This will be done on a public- private-partnership mode and the savings made from power consumption will be used to pay loans,” he said.

Urging people to use electric vehicles, Sangma said that he, too, would start using one soon.

The charging point for the electric vehicles will be installed at the secretariat and other places, he said.

Asserting that regional cooperation can benefit people of the northeast, the chief minister said states should work in close coordination, instead of always knocking the central government doors for assistance.

Meanwhile, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi greeted the people of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura on their Statehood Day.