Biren meets veteran scribes, retd Justices
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 10 2018:
Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren today visited veteran journalists Kangujam Madhumangol and AK Sanaton, and retired Justices Ashok Potshangbam and Justice TNK (Tayenjam Nandakumar) Singh and interacted with them separately.
The Chief Minister first visited former Prajatantra and ISTV News Editor K Madhumangol at his Kakwa residence and presented a gift.
Biren also visited former Eehou Editor Akoijam Sanaton at his Singjamei Wangma Kshetri Leikai residence.
Even though Sanaton is still weak after recovering from an illness, he and the Chief Minister talked about the State.
Biren then went to the residences of retired Justice Ashok Potshangbam at Khagempalli and TNK Singh at Keishamthong Top Leirak.
Speaking to media persons later, N Biren stated that he has been interacting regularly with senior citizens, prominent citizens, intellectuals and academicians in the backdrop of the completion of four years in office by the NDA Government at the Centre and one year by the BJP-led coalition Government at Manipur in order to solicit their feedback and suggestions.
"I want to listen to their opinions and suggestions on the different programmes and policies taken up by the NDA Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the State Government", Biren said.
They are experts and quite knowledgeable in their own fields and it is crucial to learn from them, added the Chief Minister.
With a conviction that mutual trust and respect cannot be restored between the hill people and the valley people until there is uniform development, the State Government, soon after it was sworn in, submitted a proposal to the Central Government for a topographical need based budget.
Citing an example, Biren said that Singjamei and Kshetri Leikai can be connected by a bridge but a huge amount is needed to make one village connected with another in the hill districts.
The Central Government has sanctioned hill budget not only for Manipur but also for Tripura and Jharkhand where the topography is divided into hills and plains, Biren said.
An amount of Rs 90 crore has been sanctioned for infrastructure development in Tamenglong district in the first phase.
The Central Government is expected to sanction similar funds for other hill districts too, he exuded.
Regarding the unrest prevailing in Manipur University, Biren informed that he had talked with Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar.
He assured that they would talk again when he goes to Delhi either on June 14 or 15 and all avenues would be explored to work out a solution.
"Even though I had already collected a report on the absence of the VC from his office, the VC told me that he was moving frequently on official duties/works.
The truth will come out soon", Biren said.
"I talked with a team of MUSU yesterday and they were agreeable to my appeal not to vitiate academic atmosphere of the university but they insisted that the present VC should be replaced", the Chief Minister confided.
He assured that a solution would emerge after he takes the MUSU's demand to New Delhi.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by MLA Lourembam Rameshwar and Media Advisor , to CM Irengbam Arun.
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