Jairam assures road connectivity
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 09 2012:
In what could be described as a major boost to infrastructure development in the State Union minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh today assured road connectivity in all the 654 habitations having over 250 populations in the rural areas of the state under PMGSY, within the next three years.
The minister, who arrived here this afternoon on a two day visit, told newspersons on the sidelines of inspecting ongoing national projects under his ministry, that out of the total 654 habitations, 237 have already been connected with all weather roads under the scheme.
"What Manipur did in the last 12 years have to be accelerated within the next three years.
This is a challenging task.
We will give whatever resources required for accelerating the works," he said.
Advising the State Government to be prepared for such herculean task, Jairam affirmed "money is not a matter and I'll discuss the matter with chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh this evening" .
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On Mahatma Gandhi NREGA , the Union minister said the state has performed its best.
He said under it 32 percent household employment have been provided in Manipur which is far greater than 8 percent all India figure.
"Lots of good works are done in Manipur.
Water bodies have been revived and tanks have been dug under the scheme.
Last year, Churachandpur district received the Prime Minister award for best performance," recalled the minister.
He said another point he would like to focus under his ministry is the enhancement of women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Manipur.
"Every rural woman in Manipur should be a member of SHG and the groups should link with banks.
Manipur should be the leading state in such activity to develop economic activities," he said while setting his target to cover all 160 Gram Pachayats of the state under Bharat Nirman scheme.
On being asked about the grave law and order situation likely to impede acceleration of the schemes, he said visible improvement has been seen.
"When there is faster development, peace will come and these are the two sides of a coin," the minister quipped.
He also visited INA memorial complex at Moirang where the first Indian National Army flag was hoisted during World War II .
Straight after his arrival at Imphal airport, Jairam accompanied by State's rural development minister Francis Ngajokpa, public health engineering minister Irengbam Hemochandra, MLA M Prithiviraj Singh and senior officials inspected various schemes taken up under his ministry in Imphal West, Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts.
Before wrapping up his two-day visit tomorow, the Union minister will visit rural development and PMGSY schemes at various places in Imphal West as well as Ima market, Kangla, New state assembly, high court and Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences .