Ebola fear:: Foreign visitors to be screened during Sangai Festival 2014
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN

Imphal, October 27 2014: Manipur Government has acquired hi-tech equipments to screen and detect people infected with Ebola during the upcoming Sangai Festival to be held from November 21 to November 30, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has said on Monday.

Screening has already begun at the Imphal Airport and all the National Highways connecting Manipur to detect patients suffering from the deadly disease Ebola, Ibobi told reporters on the sidelines of oath-taking ceremony of Elangbam Dwijamani as the Congress MLA.

Dwijamani won the recent by-poll from Hiyanglam assembly constituency.

Ibobi, however, said he has advised the department concerned to avoid any incident that can upset foreign visitors while monitoring them during the upcoming Sangai festival.

The equipments for identifying people infected with Ebola are just like cameras, Ibobi said and informed that the pre-emptive measures have been taken up by the state Government to prevent spreading of the deadly disease in Manipur.

In a media query on his Government's assurance to complete the construction of Sanjenthong bridge ahead of the coming Sangai Festival, the Chief Minister said 80 percent of the requisite material components have acquired for the bridge construction.

Some of the material components for the bridge construction are to be imported from France and Germany which are sending them by cargo flights, Ibobi said, assuring that the people could use the bridge within a month immediately after the materials from abroad are arrived here.

Rs 8 crore in the first phase and another Rs 7 crore in the second phase have been released for the Sanjenthong bridge construction, he said and assured that there will be no financial constraints from the Government side for the bridge construction.

Referring to the planned passport and visa office to be set up in Imphal, the Chief Minister said his Government has been making efforts to recruit regular staff for the proposed visa office.

He also said the Government is working hard to start operating regular international flights at Imphal Tulihal Airport soon.

Asked about the steps being taken by the Manipur Government in view of the 1,000 Karbi Anglon bandh call given by the Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS) that began this morning, the Chief Minister said he was hopeful that the Centre would take up measures to tackle the strike.

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