Imphal, January 25: Governor Ved Prakash Marwah has noted with serious concern that the progress made by Manipur over the past many years has been tardy and the people have to honestly introspect on this.

In his address to the people of the State on the eve of the Republic Day, the Governor maintained that the State has a great potential to achieve much more than what it has achieved so far.

'Manipur has, no doubt, made progress in various fields....

since its merger with the Indian Union in October 1949.However, it is not up to the mark and desired level of its own people when compared with the other States of the country,' the Governor said, adding that the occasion of Republic Day is a time both for celebration and introspection to assess what we have achieved till today, where we have gone wrong and how to correct the distortions that have crept into our system apart from looking to the future and where we are going.

He said that Manipur is blessed with Nature's bountiful munificence consisting of abundant natural, material arid manpower resources.

The abundant natural resources- salubrious climate, vast tourism and power potential are indeed Nature's gift to Manipur and its people.

And why then the State is far behind the other States of the Country, he asked.

While pointing out that a number of schemes particularly Centrally sponsored schemes have been taken up with investment of huge amounts of money in the State for the welfare of the people, the Governor further asked with concern whether the benefits supposed to be received by the target group of people have been received by them fully or not.

The answer is a big no and the people have to introspect and find our why it is so, Governor said.

'It we continue with the past system, the State, instead .of going forward will move backward and more and more problems will be added to the present plethora of problems', he said, asserting that corrective steps must be taken up immediately before it is too late.

Governor said that improper planning, lack of supervision over implementation of projects and schemes, insurgency, ethnic discord and conflict, political instability, high degree of corruption in public life, etc, have all contributed to the present problem including the current financial crisis.

'It must be ensured that the budgetary allocations for various programmes and schemes are well spent for the good rather than being allowed to be siphoned off by the unscrupulous elements.

Such corrupt practices are the main reasons why our developmental efforts have not yielded the desired results', Governor said.

He further said that such private expropriation of the public resources is also a moral hazard to the society because no society can remain healthy if the good of the collective is undermined by the greed of a few.

On other ills affecting Manipuri society, Governor decried calling of bandhs and strikes in Manipur even for a meager cause which can be settled easily through discussion.

He also called upon the people to maintain peace by saying that what the Manipuri society needs today is peace.

The wheels of development can be moved faster only when there is peace and harmony in the society.

Comment