100 days of BJP Government : Good but need to do more
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 01 2017 -

The first three months or to be more specific the first hundred days of the BJP led Government has been rather smooth, thus far.

Not that there is no room for improvement, and perhaps the first room for improvement would be to ensure that the BJP does not lose sight of its priorities.

To be fair, the BJP led Government has done exceptionally well in breaking the ice with the hill people remarkably seen in the manner in which the Churachandpur JAC agreed to be convinced that it would be better to claim the bodies of the eight people which have been lying in state since the uproar against the three Bills passed by the State Assembly on August 31, 2015.

It is also did well in reaching out to the United Naga Council and successfully persuading it to lift the economic blockade which had been in force since midnight of October 31, 2016.

Upgrading the Shirui Lily Festival to the State level festival was a political master stroke from Chief Minister N Biren and so was the participation of the State Government in the Barak Spring Festival at Senapati district headquarters.

It is obviously with this feel good factor that the BJP led Government has gone to town hard selling what it claims are the achievements of the Government in the past 100 days and so far everything seems to be on track.

It was with ‘bandh free, blockade free Manipur’ slogan that the BJP went to polls in the recently held Assembly election and while it has done good in convincing the UNC to lift the blockade, it should be remembered that the UNC has still not backed down from the stand that the State Government should revoke the district creation decision.

Tough to say how the BJP will proceed with the tripartite talks, but the agenda of the UNC is clear and it is here that it becomes important for the Government to not only bask in its achievements in the last 100 days but study how to proceed further by taking the reality into consideration.

It is also still not yet clear how the BJP intends to ensure that each and every household receives piped water supply regularly.

The Congress Government failed to address this point in its 15 years in power and this is perhaps the right time for the BJP to concentrate its energy on how to reach every household in the State with piped water supply.

As pointed out numerous times in this column, it is a shame that numerous families have to buy water from water tankers and this despite the fact that Manipur is a wet place receiving heavy rainfall every year.

Piped water supply was again another slogan used by the BJP in the run up to the recent Assembly election and it remains to be seen how it goes about with the task of fulfilling its pre-poll promise.

The BJP Government also needs to turn its attention to the state of the roads, at least in Imphal city.

Take a look at Nagamapal road, particularly just behind SSS Hotel and one will get an idea of what the Government needs to do.

Or better still take a ride on the road around the Government quarters at Lamphelpat and one will see the decay that is yet to be fixed.

Hope the hundred days achievement does not blind the BJP led Government to this.

Also better for the Government to pull up its socks and ensure that the filth and dirt lying near the market in front of Shanker Talkies are removed.