'Pathetic' Jiribam yearns for Government attention
Source: Hueiyen News Service / JNN

Jiribam, June 17 2014: Instead of availing additional government attention, Jiribam sub-division which is located 222 km away from Imphal along the border with Assam, has been in a pathetic condition due to negligence by the Manipur government.

Although industrial units such as Bamboo Chipping plant, Rubber Plantation and Tea Estate Garden which were suitable to the resources and soil of the sub-division were running successfully at their initial stages, they became defunct after a few years of implementation due to apathy of the government.

In fact, the state government could earn additional revenue from these plants, while at the same time providing employment to thousands of labourers of the area. One of the successfully implemented projects which has now been kept obsolete is the Motbung Tea Estate situated 8 kms south of Jiribam along Jiri Tipaimukh road (J T Road).

The Estate has now turned into a jungle.

Began in 1982, the tea estate was running under the Manipur Plantation Crops Coorporation (MPCC) which was set up in 1981 by the state government.

Initially, MPCC even targeted a land area of 425 hectares in Jiribam for its expansion.

For a few years, the tea estate could successfully provide employment to thousands of youths and unemployed people of Jiribam, as the sale of tea leaves to neighbouring Assam state started by 1985 .

In the absence of machines for generating tea, the Estate continued to sell green tea leaves at the rate of Rs.1.75 - Rs.2 per kg., and reportedly collected revenue to the tune of Rs.6 lakhs in the first phase.

There was even plan for purchase of tea refinery machines and construction of necessary buildings worth around Rs.200 lakhs under a special project by 1996 .

Now, the tea estate which not only accrued additional revenue to the government but also provided employment to unemployed people of the area has remained defunct for a long time, due to lapses of the state government.

Moreover, the Bamboo Chipping plant located at Kadamtalada in Jiribam which was successfully implemented at the beginning came to a complete halt, because of the wrong policy of state government.

The plant, during its initial stages around 1987, provided livelihood to thousands of Jiribam residents by way of engaging as labourers and purchase of bamboos from them.

Private individuals from Jiribam, Tamenglong and neighbouring areas of Assam used to earn money by supplying various types of bamboos brought via the river-ways.

The chipped bamboos from the Plant were brought to Hindustan Paper Mill in Silchar by train, where they were used for production of paper.

After running successfully for some years, the Bamboo Chipping plant became non-operational.

The two reasons for stoppage of the plant, cited by the people of Jiribam, were the lack of long term vision of the state government, and swindling of funds by some officials working in the Plant.

The halt of the Plant is a great lost not only for the people of Jiribam, but also of the state government.

Moreover, other projects such as the Rubber plantation, Cashnut firm and Lichoo firm became defunct, after a few years of implementation.

In spite of repeated assurances for reviving the dying industrial units by Ministers, MLAs or authorities who visited Jiribam from time to time, the projects are yet to me implemented.

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