Hills, valley must enjoy, equitable shares: Biren
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 16 2018:
Chief Minister N Biren has categorically stated that people of both the hills and the valley should have access to equitable shares, opportunities and rights if the integrity of Manipur must be kept intact.
Speaking at a reception function organised by BJP Manipur Pradesh at City Convention Centre in his honour on winning the distinction of the third best Chief Minister in the whole country and the best among BJP-ruled States, Biren asked, "Why should people be allowed to suffer when there is a Government?� He said that the Go to Village (GTV) Mission was launched with the idea that people should not suffer unnecessarily when there is a Government.
People belonging to far off and remote places experience severe difficulties while getting any official work done.
They are often told that the officers concerned have not yet arrived or are out of station thereby wasting time, money and energy, Biren said.
The GTV Mission was launched by challenging this deep-rooted habit.
The Government must work harder.
There must be uniform status among the hill people and valley people and when people respect each other irrespective of one's ethnicity and when there is a sense of oneness among the people, no force will dare challenge the integrity of the State, Biren asserted.
Construction of a women market at insurgency prone Ukhrul at the cost of Rs 12 crore within a period of little over four months demonstrates that there is always a way to get things done if there is will.
Mere words will not bring harmony, each and every one must act to bring unity in the State, he advocated.
The return of many hill students to the State who went to Kohima and Dimapur for their studies indicates hill people's growing faith in the incumbent Government, he claimed.
The Go to Hills programme has succeeded in instilling a sense of friendship, brotherhood and unity among the hill people and the plain people.
"Hatred and animosity will only bring downfall to each and every one of us.
The Government has just started a long and it -has miles and miles to go", Biren said.
A special Court has been set up with the primary objective of checking violence against women and ensuring their rights.
The Government has also been working hard to address the menace caused by drug abuse.
A scheme exclusive to Scheduled Tribes which would provide alternative source of livelihood to poppy cultivators and rehabilitate drug abusers would be launched within the current month, the Chief Minister announced.
Under this scheme, young artisans would be given loans by the first week of November.
There are around 5800 hectares in Bishnupur district which have been rendered unusable by the Ithai Barrage.
A survey has been already completed to remove phumdis and convert them into organic fertilizers after amassing them at Ningthoukhong, Biren said.
The places from where phumdis have been removed would be used for pisciculture.
Meanwhile, a committee of around 500 'fishermen has been formed with the primary objective of making the State self-reliant in fish production and consumption by 2020.These fishermen would be given soft loans for rearing fishes.
This would help in saving around Rs 400 crore which is spent annually in importing fishes from outside the State, Biren said.
The incumbent Government is able to work purposefully because there are many BJP leaders at the Centre who are deeply concerned about Manipur, he claimed.
He then appealed to all party workers as well as Ministers and MLAs to maintain discipline.
The CM went on to inform that an ordinance has been promulgated to check mob violence in the State.
"I won the distinction of being one of the best Chief Ministers because of the people's positive change of mind", he added.
Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar, NPF president Awangbow Newmai, LJP president Karam Shyam and BJP Manipur Pradesh president K Bhabananda too spoke at the reception function.
Comment
