Modi expresses desire to recruit NE youths in Delhi police
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 30 2014 : Prime Minister India Narendra Modi, who arrived at Imphal at around 3.00 pm on Sunday amidst tight security to grace the closing ceremony of the Sangai Festival as chief guest, was received at Imphal International Airport by state dignitaries led by Governor of Manipur Dr KK Paul and Chief Minister O Ibobi.

The prime minister attended the closing ceremony of the 10-day long Sangai Festival, the biggest tourism festival of Manipur, as chief guest here at Hapta Kangjeibung, while Governor of Manipur was present as special guest of the ceremony.

Imphal city, however, wore a deserted look due to the diktat issued by CorCom, a conglomerate of six different militant groups, forcing people to stay indoors and a 17-hour general strike call given by the Maoist Communist Party (MCP) to boycott Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Manipur visit.

Giving his welcome address to the Prime Minister, Governor of Manipur and all other taking part in the closing ceremony of Sangai Festival at BOAT, Okram Ibobi raised a number of issues pertinent to the state.

Prime Minister India Narendra Modi, who arrived at Imphal

While apprising prime minister of the lack of super specialist doctors in the state to man the district hospitals in all nine districts of Manipur, State Chief Minister O Ibobi drew the attention of prime minister for upgrading the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) to the status of AIMS and also for providing facilities of post graduate studies in Plastic Surgery and Neurology at RIMS.

Referring to Imphal-Jiribam Highway, the chief minister asserted that he did not want to blame anybody for the hardships being faced by commuters on this highway.

Even though the BRTF has been entrusted the repairing works of the National Highway for the last 40 years, the situation has not improved yet, he alleged.

Ibobi also demanded the prime minister that the Porbandar-Silchar South-East Express may be extended upto Moreh in Manipur through Imphal for better connectivity with South-East Asian countries.

Highlighting importance of improving the Imphal Airport to International standard, the chief minister requested the chief guest to look into the improvement of Imphal Airport, for which 600 acres of land have already been acquired.

He said the distance between Imphal and Mandalay is around 500 km which is similar to Kolkata, but anyone visiting Mandalay by air has to go to Kolkata for catching flight to Mandalay.

Although the Imphal Airport has been turned into International Airport, the facilities are yet to be provided till date, he claimed.

Saying that film production in Manipur started as early as 1936 and by 1972 Manipur film industry could have earned 57 national film awards, Ibobi expressed desire for owning a National Film Institute in the state.

He claimed that the state is in the third rank in film production among others with over 70 films of the state entering the Indian Panorama.

Affirming that his government desires to bring settlement of issues of various insurgent groups both in valley and hills, O Ibobi reiterated that not an inch of state's territory will be compromised in bringing about settlement of the issues.

After a careful hearing of all the issues raised by the congress chief minister of Manipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed satisfaction over the confidence the people of Manipur including the chief minister have on him.

Modi assured the people of Manipur that he will do certain tangible things for Manipur in return of the people's confidence on him.

He said Rs.60,000 crore had been earmarked in the union budget this year for infrastructure development in the northeast, and added that he would look into each request and see what could be done about them.

Addressing the gathering, the chief guest said a sports university will be opened in Manipur soon.

Sports was the fulcrum of tremendous economic activity and several allied disciplines such as nutrition and physiotherapy could boost employment prospects for the youth of Manipur, he added.

"We decided that there will be a sports university in Manipur.

Manipur has a big contribution in making India proud on the world stage," Modi said.

"Sports is in the DNA of people of this land.

There is both sports and sportsman spirit in Manipur," he said, also making an impassioned plea to free the youth of the state from the menace of drugs.

"I feel very sad when I hear that youth are taking to drugs.

It is up to us...

our future generations can't be ruined.

This path is harmful," Modi said.

"The youth of this state, who have the potential to inspire the entire nation through excellence in sports, should not fall prey to drugs" .

The government has already asked the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) to assess the level of drug abuse in the state.

The prime minister also said that 'youth from Manipur will be recruited in Delhi Police' .

"Youth from northeast would be recruited in Delhi Police.

The world should know how youth from the northeast can police Delhi." The prime minister also referred to the requests made by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh for improving infrastructure such as roads and hospitals, and said he was happy that the chief minister looked to the central government for delivering infrastructure.

"The chief minister was talking about a lot of issues.

I was feeling very happy.

At least the chief minister is confident that this government will do something," Modi said.

Modi left Imphal for Nagaland at 5:15 pm.

Modi's visit to Congress-ruled Manipur was part of his four-day maiden trip to five North Eastern states including Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the biggest annual Hornbill Festival of Nagaland on December 1.The festival also marks the 50th anniversary of creation of Nagaland.