State oranges to be called 'Tamenglong Orange': CM
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Daniel Kamei

Tamenglong, December 09 2014: Despite the boycott call of the United Naga Council, the 11th State Level Orange Festival 2014 went off with extravaganza, great pomp and shows at Tamenglong district headquarters today.

Speaking as Chief Guest at the inaugural ceremony, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh declared that Oranges found in Manipur will be called as 'Tamenglong Orange' from today.

O Ibobi said that the government of Manipur is trying to construct cold storage, but the cold storage needs 24 hrs power supply.

He reminded the gathering that the state is facing acute shortage of power.

In order to have cold storage and juice storage, the growers have to produce large quantity of oranges first, Ibobi said.

Chief Minister O Ibobi at the 11th State Level Orange Festival 2014 at Tamenglong

During his short visit to the Festival, a number of memoranda were passed on to the Chief Minister.

Replying to some of the memoranda, Ibobi said that the government will try to solve the deplorable condition of road and acute shortage of water in Tamenglong.

He also said that his government will look into setting up of science stream at Tamenglong.

In his chief host speech, Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur Gaikhangam appealed to all the people of Tamenglong to plant more oranges in the available barren lands of Tamenglong.

He also proposed to shift the venue of the Orange Festival to Imphal valley as the festival is at the state level.

Gaikhangam recalled that people of this district were facing orange epidemic ten years back, but now the production quantity is increasing.

The government is trying hard to increase the orange production and some orange saplings have also been distributed to the growers, he added.

Terming the United Naga Council as anti-people, anti-development and anti-production, the Deputy CM said that boycott is not in the interest of the people, or orange growers and the land.

He also expressed his sincere gratitude to all the participants of the Orange Festival for attending the festival despite the boycott call given by the United Naga Council.

In his welcome speech, RH Gonmei, IAS Deputy Commissioner Tamenglong said that the main aim of the Festival is to inculcate and arouse interests of orange growers, to promote the spirit of competition in terms of producing good quality and quantity of orange, to take orange plantation in large scale as an alternative means to shift cultivation and enhance economy of the general public.

Phungzathang Tonsing, Minister of Health and family Welfare, CAD & CADA; Govindas Konthoujam, Minister of Commerce & Industries, Sericulture, Vety.

& Husbandry; Ngamthan Haokip, Minister of IFCD and Printing & Stationery; Francis Ngajokpa, Minister of RD & PR and Eco & Statistics; Md.Nasir, Minister of Agriculture and Fishery; Z.Kikhonbou Newmai, Vice Chairman Hill Area Committee; J.C.Ramthanga, IAS, Principal Secretary (RD & PR, Hort & Soil Conservation, Member Secretary, EBDA & BRVDB, Govt.of Manipur were the guests of honour for the 11th state level Orange Festival.

Humaliabou, Chairman ADC Tamenglong, Zino Kamei, Vice Chairman ADC Tamenglong and his members of ADC Tamenglong also attended the festival. Akin (Stall No.61) resident of Sibilong village bagged the Best Orange Grower Award carrying Rs.1.5 lakh.

Akindi of Chiuluan (stall no.188) and Hagar of Dailong village (stall no.120) bagged second and third Best Orange Grower Award of Rs.one lakh and 75 thousand respectively.