Our Correspondent
Imphal, Mar. 6 (EMN): Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh on Tue. expressed the need to have unity among all the North East states to communicate each other (on different issues).
Be it with Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh or the neighbouring Nagaland, we need have to a breakthrough. To have a cohesive atmosphere, we need human approach, friendship and respect, Biren said.
Similarly in Manipur too, the gap and mistrust among the people are disappearing with the support of the people and their development oriented approach.
Biren who flew back from Shillong after attending the swearing in ceremony of new ministry in Meghalaya, was speaking at the formal inauguration of Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Power Plants (400 kW) at six government buildings here on Tue. Mar. 6.
The six government buildings are City Convention Centre (100kW), National Sports Academy (100kW), Inter State Bus Terminus (100kW), Secured Office Complex (25kW), Manipur State Film Development Society (25kW) and Manipur State Kala Academy (50kW).
He said the government is targeting to electrify the remaining un-electrified villages (numbering around 50) in Manipur by the end of this month (March), adding more than 250 villages have already been electrified.
Regarding the introduction of Helicopter services in Manipur, he said the Union Home Ministry is expected to issue a formal order by this weekend.
Expressing concern over scarcity of water in the hills, he said necessary steps including introduction of rain water harvesting schemes and large scale tree plantation campaign would be launched by April.
On the state government’s campaign against drugs, he added so far the state agencies have destroyed Illegal poppy plantation in areas covering more than 1000 acres in the state. To address this issue, the government is planning to provide alternative livelihood means by giving soft loans etc, he added. Besides three women’s markets in Jiribam,Churachandpur and Ukhrul would be inaugurated within this month.
In his presidential address, power minister Th Biswajit Singh said Renewable Energy mission is one of the important initiatives by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He assured that there would be no shortage of power in the State in the coming years.
Encouraging the people to install rooftop solar panels/system at their homes and local clubs, he said that people’s support and encouragement is needed to bring development in the state. Currently the power supply scenario in the state is said to be manageable after the introduction of pre-paid power supply since 2012.