Imphal, October 19: Governor Ved Marwah has reportedly impressed upon the Centre the importance of extending the railway line from Jiribam to Imphal so that a dependence mode of transport is available at all times to the people of Manipur.

He also reportedly reiterated the need to maintain and upgrade the NH-39 and NH-53 as they are the lifelines of landlocked Manipur.

He is at present in Shillong participating in the North east chief ministers� meet.

According to reports reaching here, Governor Ved Marwah has strongly appealed to the Union minister for disinvestment and development of North East, Arun Shourie, expedite implementation of the 90-MW Loktak Downstream and 1500-MW Tipaimukh hydro-electric projects.

Besides Arun Shourie, the meet is also being participated by Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha.

Welcoming Arun Shourie on his being appointed minister for NE development, Governor Ved Marwah also highlighted the financial difficulties being faced by the state in paying employees� salaries and allowances to its employees.

The state�s economy is not sustainable unless substantial Central assistance is extended, he is said to have pointed out.

Meanwhile, Union minister Arun Shourie held the political leaders of the Northeast responsible for backwardness of the region, and asked the state governments to begin and persevere.

During an interaction with Meghalaya ministers at the Shillong Raj Bhavan, he is reported to have assured that his ministry would act as a catalyst to make things happen and clear impediments at the Central level and that allocation for the North East Council and North East Development fund would be increased.

However, he said, the leaders here must properly utilize the money allocated.

Pointing out the untapped economic advantages and resources the region has, Shourie said the chief ministers are responsible for not taking proper initiative, adding the governments of the region are not utilizing the Centrally sponsored schemes properly, the report said.

Addressing the chief minister�s meet, Arun Shourie however did not fully agree to the demand of the state government that there should be hundred percent financial help to the Centrally-sponsored schemes.

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