CM visits Sangai Ethnic Park, inspects work progress
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIPR

Imphal, December 24 2022: Chief minister N Biren Singh on Saturday visited the Sangai Ethnic Park at Moirang Khunou and inspected the progress of work ahead of the G20 event which will be held in the state from February 16 to 18, 2023 .

He also later visited the INA Memorial Complex being developed at Moirang.

Briefing the media at the INA Memorial Complex, N Biren informed about the likely visit of the union home minister Amit Shah to the state in January next year.

As such the state government had requested the union home minister to hoist the 163 feet high Indian national flag, which is being installed inside the INA Memorial Complex.

He continued that a memorial site for those 185 brave soldiers, who joined the then Indian National Army to liberate India from the British, would also be developed.

The memorial site would also be inaugurated by the union home minister during his visit, he added.

The chief minister further informed that a session of G20 Summit 2023 would also be held in the state.

As such, representatives of participating countries would also visit different places of the state, including Loktak Lake, Sangai Ethnic Park and others, during their visit to the state for the session, he added.

He also informed that the Grand Finale of Femina Miss India would be held at the Sangai Ethnic Park in the first week of April, 2023.He continued that his visit to the part was to see the progress of the development and to ensure its completion before the G20 session.

N Biren reiterated union home minister Amit Shah's appreciation of the state government's war on drugs campaign and the alternative crop plantation initiatives taken up by the government.

He mentioned that the state government has been providing awareness to different villages at hill areas regarding the ill effects of poppy plantations and the alternative livelihood measures taken up by the government.

The state government came to know about the cultivation of poppy under pressure and collection of tax by some militant outfits under Suspension of Operation, as revealed by two village chiefs arrested by the police, he added.

Stating that drone surveys are being carried out to check poppy plantations at certain interior areas, the chief minister informed that steps have been taken up to destroy the poppy plantations, by deploying a combined team consisting of personnel of Manipur Police and Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB).

He appealed to those poppy planters to immediately stop such activities, adding that the state government does not want to take harsh action against them.

Biren also said that under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the government can confiscate even the property of drug dealers and poppy planters, but the government does not want to go that far.

During the inspection, the chief minister was accompanied by education minister Thounaojam Basanta Kumar, Moirang MLA Thongam Shanti, Thanga MLA Tongbram Robindro, Lamsang MLA Sorokhaibam Rajen, Loktak Development Authority chairman M Asnikumar, chief secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar, Manipur Police Housing Corporation Ltd managing director Christopher Doungel, additional chief secretary V Vumlunmang and other officials.

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