Eye-catching firework wraps up Sangai Festival
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, November 30 2012:
The 10-day long Manipur Sangai Festival 2012 organised by State Tourism Department concluded along with a cultural extravaganza and eye-catching firework at Bheigyachandra Open Air Theatre (BOAT), Hapta Kangjeibung here today.
Thousands of visitors thronged the closing ceremony.
The venue of the festival and its vicinities were packed with sea of people.
Large number of visitors could be seen forcing the main gate of the venue manned by hundreds of policemen.
They even tried to enter inside the venue after breaking the queues.
However, the police managed to control the large crowd.
The state Tourism Department allowed all the stalls to remain open till 9 pm on the last day.
However, the police prevented further crowds from visiting the stalls from around 8 pm.
Speaking at the closing function as Chief Guest, Governor Gurbachan Jagat observed that Manipur is known more for its law and order problem rather than its beauty and tremendous human resources.
It is a fact of life that negative reports travel much faster than positive attributes.
On this count, tourists generally do not like to take the risk of visiting Manipur.
He suggested that it is for the state Government and the people of Manipur to work towards dispelling this negative aura.
Pointing out that Tourism industry is the fastest growing sector and its economic multiplication factor is the highest, the Governor said that many countries without much natural resources have harnessed tourism as the main component of their economy with great success.
"Marketing is the key and I feel that Manipur has faltered in this regard.
A greater effort needs to be made to ensure that Manipur is on the tourism map.
The issue of accommodation will automatically be addressed if there is a rise in flow of tourists and for this investment will be forthcoming", the Governor said.
"What a tourist needs is not a 5-star hotel but a basic clean, hygienic and affordable accommodation.
The concerned agencies of the state Government should inspect the hotels and other places of stay regularly to ensure that they are maintained at a minimum standard of hygiene and cleanliness", he pointed out.
Paying guest system can also be introduced as Manipur now has many private buildings which easily meet the standard, he suggested while stating that for this, training of the owners of these buildings needs to be carried out and inspection also carried out regularly.
"Further the civic authorities and the people should make Manipur a much cleaner state with clean roads etc" .
CM Ibobi, who presided over the closing ceremony, said the State Government is seriously considering upgrading Hotel Imphal into a 5-star hotel.
Yatir Niwas, tourist lodges, cafeterias, wayside amenities have been constructed by the state Government under Central financial assistance from the Government of India, he announced.
Integrated tourist destination schemes are being taken up at Imphal, Jiribam, Bishnupur, Ishingthingbi, Kongjom War Memorial and Sipuikon in Tipaimukh, the Chief Minister informed, adding that tourist circuits are being developed touching all important locations from Imphal to Jessami, Imphal to Mao, Imphal to Moreh and Imphal to Churachandpur.
At present, Detailed Project Report for two mega projects, one for providing infrastructure in and around Imphal city including Palace Compound, War Cemetery, Assembly, High Court and Ima Market and the other for integrated mega tourist circuit at Khongjom, Kaina and Kheba Ching have been submitted to Ministry of Tourism, the Chief Minister disclosed.
Besides Governor Gurbachan Jagat and Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, the closing function was attended by Agriculture Minister Md Abdul Nasir, Social Welfare Minister AK Mirabai, Parliamentary Secretary of Tourism, M Prithviraj, MLA O Landhoni, Chief Secretary DS Poonia, DGP Y Joykumar, Commissioner of Commerce Industries O Nabakeshwor and other senior officials of the State Government.
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