Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, September 25 2010:
Union government will be insisted to lift the restricted area permit (RAP) so as to allow tourist flow in Manipur, said director Asholi Chalai, Development of North East Region (DoNER) today.
Addressing reporters at Hotel Imphal today, Asholi Chalai said that it was high time for the Centre to lift the RAP, keeping restriction to the visit of foreigners in the state, from the state.
The lifting of RAP depends on the prevailing law and order of the state.
State government also needs pressing the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for lifting the same.
The director who was part of the recent visit of a team of diplomats of South East Asian Countries said that the Northeastern region of the country has a great potential of tourism industries.
But, unfortunately, the same remained unexplored due to bad law and order and lack of infrastructure development, he observed.
Asserting the DoNER was set up specially for the purpose of enhancing the passage of development and brings a balance development with other states of the country, he said that favourable atmosphere should be created to attract investors of the country in the region.
If the state government go hand in had with the DoNER, development of states of the region can be brought up, he believes expressing that the most important thing in this regard is governance in each states.
There is no shadow of transparent governance, which is a must for development, in the states.
Even though Central government through DoNER is giving keen interest in this region, state governments were not ready to avail the benefits given to them.
This is a great mistake of governments in this region, Asholi said.
He also recalled that ASEAN diplomats had seen the tourism potentials of the region.
They had also explored that it would be best to pass the trans-Asian Highway through Moreh and Tamu, he informed.
In reply to a question asked by reporters, Asholi Chalai said that any of the project sanctioned by the Central government through DoNER could not taken up and complete within the targeted period.
Due to delay in the furnishing of utilization certificates, further released of funds for next installments were remaining blocked.
The state government is also lack of co-operation to DoNER in taking up developmental works, he observed.
It is not possible to improve law and order of a state when government is not taken up schemes and projects which could generate employment.
That is, if the government generates job to the educated youths, the law and order will automatically improve, he said asserting that youths are prone to joint insurgency when they were unemployed.
DoNER is having a close watch in this factor and working out to generate employment to educated youths of the states in this region, he added.