TODAY -
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Sobhapati Samom
Tamenglong, December 08 2008:
WITH THE theme 'orange for health' and 'orange for beauty and prosperity', this picturesque hill station in Manipur's only orange district Tamenglong witnessed the fifth edition of the state level Orange Festival at the local ground today.
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Horticulture and Tribal Development Minister D D Thaisii formally inaugurated the day long festival.
He also opened the exhibition stalls in the presence of local MLA and Vice-Chairman of the Hill Areas Committee Khangthuanang Panmei, Tamei MLA N Awangbow and Colonel Pradip Shanker Choukar, Commandant of 11 Assam Rifles.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Horticulture, D D Thaisii opined that instead of asking what the government could do for us, our people should ask ourselves what we could do for the government.
Besides donating a sum of Rs 50,000 to the organising committee of the festival, he also called upon the villagers to bring out as much orange as they can for the betterment of the economy of the district.
In the year 2004-05, over 1.5 lakh orange plants grown in Tamenglong's 50 different villages had produced as many as 52,41,850 oranges which is a record, according to sources of Horticulture Development Society, Tamenglong (HoST).
Though the first ever orange festival was held in 2001 at Tamenglong district headquarter, organising the beauty contest now popularly known as Orange Queen started only five years ago.
The beauty contest gained popularity soon after the orange festival of the district became a state level festival in 2005 .
Talking to this reporter, David Panmei, President of HoST said, "The large scale orange cultivation in the district helps us to minimise jhum cultivation" .
Besides, 132 orange growers from different Tamenglong villages took part in the day's orange growers competition.
Personnel of 5th Manipur Rifles, 11 Assam Rifles, Tamenglong Bamboo and Cane Development Centre (TAMBAC), UBI and others also exhibited their products during the festival.
First, second and third prizes of this year's best orange growers went to Ringsinglung of Wairangba village, P R Abon of Dailong and R Kamlung Panmei.
The victorious orange farmers went home richer with cash prizes of Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively.
In the evening, 27 beautiful girls from different communities from different parts of the state vied for the Orange Queen title which carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000.The first and the second runners up title holders would also be given a cash prize of Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively.
All these cash prizes are sponsored by well wishers of the festival.
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