Manipur has lot of potential and promise: PM
Excerpts of Prime Minister's speech at public meeting at Imphal

indiainfoline.com | 5 Dec, 2011,

Manipur and the other North Eastern States have a special place in my heart and I consider myself fortunate that I have always received great love and affection from the people here.

Following are the excerpts of Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s speech at public meeting at Imphal, Manipur today:

“It is both a pleasure and a privilege for me to have this opportunity to visit Manipur once again. Manipur and the other North Eastern States have a special place in my heart and I consider myself fortunate that I have always received great love and affection from the people here.

I have always held that Manipur is a State with a lot of potential and promise. It is a State of breathtaking natural beauty, a very rich cultural heritage, and a long and glorious tradition of peace and harmony amongst the many communities that live here. The rivers and valleys of Manipur, its flora and fauna and its songs and dances make it a tourist`s delight.

It is no surprise that the brave people of Manipur excel in sports. Despite being smaller than many other States, in both area and population, Manipur was the top performer among States in the National Games this year. I congratulate the sportspersons of the State for this wonderful achievement.

The devolution under the 13th Finance Commission from the Centre to the State for the period 2010-2015 is expected to be about Rs. 13,600 crore, which is more than double the amount given in the period 2005-2010.

We recognize that the creation of good infrastructure is critical for Manipur`s economic development. We have therefore made sincere efforts in this direction. The Imphal airport has now been provided with night landing facilities. The State government has made available 640 acres of land and the Airports Authority of India has drawn up a plan for upgrading the infrastructure to international standards.

Work on the 125 km railway line from Jiribam to Imphal via Tupul is under progress and is likely to be completed by March 2016, with the Jiribum-Tupul portion getting constructed by March 2014. The State government has requested for Central assistance to improve road connectivity in hill areas. I urge the State government to prepare detailed proposals in this regard so that they may be suitably considered.

I am happy to announce that an oil depot at Malom will be taken up for construction. Till the work of railway line up to Imphal is completed, it will work as a road-fed depot. I am also happy to announce that the capacity of the LPG bottling plant at Sekmai will be doubled from 600 MT to 1200 MT. This will help in maintaining a regular supply of petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG to the people of Manipur.

In recognition of the special needs of Manipur, we have decided to set up Kasturba Gandhi residential schools in all the 9 districts of the State, covering even those districts that do not meet the normal eligibility conditions. Similarly, we have recently sanctioned two new Navodaya Vidyalaya for Ukhrul and Senapati districts. The proposal for upgradation of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) has been approved and work is likely to begin in December 2011. The proposal for up-gradation of the Jawahar Lal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences is under consideration.

The state government has requested for increased Central assistance to support modernization of the State police. I am asking the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide Rs. 50 crore annually for this purpose in the 12th Plan period. The state government has also requested for introduction of an international bus service between Imphal and Mandalay. As part of our look east policy, we will suitably take up this request with the Government of Myanmar.

We are aware that the recent road blockades by some groups caused immense hardships to the common people of Manipur. While the Central government did extend all possible support to the State government for meeting the crisis and making essential commodities available to the people, the blockades were painful for the people of the State and harmful to its economy. Though the economic blockades have now ended, it is incumbent upon all of us to deliberate about the efficacy of such acts. To my mind, there are no winners in such disruptive activities, there are only losers. It is my hope that we will not see a repeat of such actions in the future. Despite their diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, the people of Manipur have lived peacefully in the past and it should be our collective endeavour to see that this legacy is carried forward.

It is my hope that Manipur will emerge as one of the best States of the country. Our government at the Centre, in partnership with the State government, will do everything possible to make this happen. I would like to end by wishing all of you and the State of Manipur all the very best for the future. May God bless your path.”