Our correspondent
Imphal, Jan 5. (EMN): Poumai Thounii, the biggest traditional festival of the Poumai community was celebrated at Thingba Khunou (Shomai) village, about 130 km north of Imphal in Manipur’s Senapati district on Fri.
Among those who attended the event included Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh; Works and Power Minister Th Biswajit; Tribal Affairs and Hills Minister N Kayasii; Public Health and Engineering department minister Losii Dikho; ML Markson, chairman of Autonomous District Council of Senapati; L Soloni Pao, president of the PNU; Vineet Joshi, principal secretary to CM; Arun Irengbam, media advisor to CM.
Speaking during the occasion Chief Minister Singh said that a heritage complex for the Poumai community would be developed by the state’s government at Saranamei village. The project is to ‘preserve and protect the historical elements and antique items associated with the community.’
Promising to put forward the request to broadcast Poumai dialect programmes in between 6.20 to 6.50 pm in All India Radio of Imphal, he assured the Poumai to discuss the demand to declare Poumai Thounii as a restricted holiday for the state.
Highlighting government’s new initiatives in various fronts, Singh said that the government would launch two different welfare schemes on statehood day on January 21. ‘Hakshelgi Tengbang’ (Manipur Health Protection Scheme) will be launched on the day and become functional from the next day. The scheme would provide cashless benefit up to Rs 2 lakh per year per BPL/AAY/poor family.
Ten well-equipped ambulances would also be put in service at hill district headquarters from this day onwards in order to reduce the inconveniences faced by the people of hill and interior areas in bringing patients to health centres and hospitals, he said and added that Rs 11 crore had been earmarked to construct a Guest House for the Chiefs of different villages of hill districts inside the complex of Royal Palace in Imphal.
