Imphal, April 03: Former MP and MPP's candidate in the upcoming 14th Lok Sabha election Kim Gangte has pledged to work for accelerating the pace of development and strengthen the bond of fraternity among the hill and the valley people of Manipur.

Participating at the 'Meet the Candidate' programme organized by Editors' Forum Manipur, which commenced today at the conference hall of DIPR, Kim Gangte said her first priority if elected to represent the State in Parliament would be to safeguard the integrity of Manipur and bring the hill and the valley people together.

The Meet the Candidate programme is being organized ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha election to enable the candidates to interact with the mediapersons and put forward their opinion on various issues confronting the people of the State.

The programme would continue till April 9.When the issue of hill and valley divide does not arise in States like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, why should it be a matter of concern here, Kim, who had been elected to the Lok Sabha once, questioned.

She said one of the reasons why she is contesting the election is because of her deep concern over the excesses being committed by security personnel on the people of Manipur in the name of counter insurgency operation and lack of developmental activities in the State.

These same issues had been also put on the floor of the Parliament during her short tenure as an MP and 'I had persistently urged the Centre to scrap the Disturbed Area status and Armed Forces Special Power Act not only from Manipur, but from the entire NE region', she claimed.

It is really disheartening to say that while I was trying to bring the problems being faced by the people on the floor of the august House and canvass support to revoke the Disturbed Area status from Manipur, the State Government had recommended its imposition, the gutsy ex-Parliamentarian rued.

She contended that the problem of insurgency in Manipur cannot be solved by sending in more Army.

The only solution to the problem lies in political and economic development.

But all economic activities in Manipur have taken a back seat due to the disturbed area tag.

Stressing on the need to improve the existing transport and communication system for accelerating the pace of development in the State, Kim maintained that unless the people have full knowledge about the various developmental schemes being taken up, no amount of Central fund poured into the State will be able to improve their lot.

Considering this, Kim said, she had also applied pressure for constructing an Express Highway from Silchar to Imphal which would pass through Moreh and Myanmar while she was in the Parliament.

On some of the issues she would like to take up on being elected to the highest decision making body of the country, Kim mentioned introduction of a Crop Insurance scheme for the farming community of Manipur and creation of a new Parliamentary Constituency to enable the electorates of seven Assembly segment in Thoubal district to contest in the Parliamentary election.

When this issue was put in Parliament, the MPs from other States have expressed their surprise on learning there are still a large section of Manipuri population who are being denied their rights to contest in the election though they have been allowed caste their votes, Kim recalled.

Spokesperson of the MPP candidate and party president MLA O Joy Singh who was also present at the occasion enumerated on the points to be highlighted on the election manifesto of the party.

These include formulation of a youth policy with cent percent Central funding for solving the problems of unemployment, institution of Manipur Regiment, National Highway Protection Force and extension of Foreign Direct Investment facilities to Manipur among others.

He also informed the gathering about the positive response he had received from Union Home Minister LK Advani to the letter he had written on giving maintenance allowance to surrendered underground activists of Manipur.

On the prospects of his party in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election, Joy reiterated that no national party would be able to hold power at the centre without the support of the regional parties.