This year's Sangai Festival to create history
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, October 24 2013: This year's Sangai Tourism Festival scheduled to be held from November 21 to 30 is going to create history.

With the Chief Ministers of Saigang Region and Mandalay Region of Myanmar confirming their participation in the festival, steps have been taken up for connecting Myanmar and Manipur by air for the first time in history.

So, some of the members in the Myanmarese delegation would be coming to Imphal by flight from Mandalay.

Apart from arriving at an agreement between India and Myanmar in this regard, the Union Ministry of External Affairs has taken up necessary measures for development of Tulihal Airport at Imphal and announced it as an International airport at least for the short duration of the festival.

Disclosing this Hueiyen Lanpao during an exclusive chat today, Principal Secretary of Commerce and Industries, Government of Manipur O Nabakishore informed introduction of air connectivity between Manipur and Myanmar has been worked out as part of the efforts being made for upgradation of Tulihal Airport into an International airport.

For successful execution of this plan, KB, the proprietor of KB Enterprises, who played a major role in bringing Indigo flight services to Imphal would be leaving Imphal for Yangon tomorrow at the invitation of U Aung Gyi, the Managing Director of Golden Myanmar Airlines, which is one of the cheapest airlines services in Myanmar.

During the course of his visit, KB is also expected to meet Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Gautam Mukhopadhaya at Yangoon either tomorrow evening or in the morning of the following day.

Mukhopadhaya had already communicated to KB for establishing contacts with higher officials of Indigo and Spice Net airlines services for ensuring their participation and co-operation in this venture of introducing flight services from Manipur to Myanmar successfully.

As an India's Consulate has already been opened up by him at Mandalay, necessary measures have been put in place to start issuing of visas to Myanmarese Nationals wishing to Manipur within the next couple of days.

However, the problem of issuing visas to Indians still exists as there has been no office of Myanmarese consulate either at Imphal or Moreh.

Nonetheless, India has been trying to prevail over the Myanmarse authorities for doing the needful in this regard, the Principal Secretary said.

O Nabakishore maintained that introduction of air service between Myanmar and Manipur would not only help in successful implementation India's Look East Policy but also enhance mutualco-operation and support in various areas including health care, education and tourism.

Meanwhile, according to another source, the move being made is only experimental to show that air connectivity can be there between Myanmar and Manipur.

How long this would continue and whether the facilities would be extended to other travellers is still not clear.

India Government and Myanmarese authority need to sit together and decide whether the flight service should continue on daily or weekly basis after the Sangai Tourism Festival.

As Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh is learnt to have extended invitation to many noted personalities during his recent visits to China and Japan, there is the high possibility of delegates from China and Japan also coming to take part in the Sangai Tourism Festival this year.

However, there has been no official confirmation from either China or Japan in this connection, the source added.

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