Baseless Economy
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: December 31, 2013 -

Like any other peasant economies, agriculture and allied services form the backbone of the economy of Manipur.

It is not only the main occupation of the people, but also the largest productive unit of the State's economy.

Agriculture sector alone contributes a major share of the total domestic products of the State and provides employment to more than half of its total work force.

In spite of the shrinking size of the available cultivable area from about 9.41 percent of the total geographical area of 22,327 Sq. Km not long ago to about 7.41 percent at present, the poor but hard working farmers in Manipur have been trying their best level to produce enough food-grain to feed and fill the stomach of ever increasing population of the State through adoption of newer and better methods of farming.

These are some of the facts well-known to everyone including the policy framers and executive members themselves.

Yet, one recurring problem that the farming community in Manipur face every year, specially, at this time of cultivation season is the shortage of fertiliser in the market or its steep price rise in the black market, where it is normally available in plenty.

Instead of working in their paddy field, farmers have to make a round of the markets or run from pillar to post just to get a bag or two of the essential fertiliser for applying in their field. This is an inevitable truth that no farmer in Manipur could think of escaping every year.

But, why this is happening? This is a question which everyone, not just the farmers who work in the muddy paddy field but also the so-called intellectuals and public leaders, who could not live without two plateful of the delicious rice produced by these farmers on their dining tables every day, should ask the Government.

It is really surprising to know that in spite of the importance that agriculture and allied services plays in the economy of the State, there has been no State policy for development of the agricultural sector in Manipur till date.

In the absence of an agricultural policy, how any elected Government, whose economy is essentially agrarian-base could think of moving ahead in the race for development in this age of globalisation is simply unthinkable.

As far as we could remember, the Government of Manipur has been maintaining that formulation of a State Agriculture policy is 'under active consideration' after the matter was first 'officially' brought up for discussion in the State Assembly in May 2007.

However, even after 6 years, there has been no sign of any agricultural policy taking shape in the State.

This goes to show how the Government of Manipur has been woefully short of its sight and vision for a welfare State.

It's no wonder, why there has been no qualitative change in the economy of the State all these years and the State as well as its teeming people remained dependent on the mercy of grant-in-aids doled out by New Delhi year after year.