Imphal, November 24: Trust the State Government to goof up even on matters of extreme importance and today with the State Directorate of Commerce and Industries failing to establish proper, contacts with the Myanmar Govt on important matters, the Indo- Myanmar Trade and Economic Co-operation seminar scheduled to be held at Mandalay as part of the Centre's new Look East policy, is in danger of ending up as a damp squib.

Not surprisingly the ineptness shown by the State Government has left a number of delegates drawn from other parts of the region fuming.

Altogether 137 people in four tourist buses left Imphal for Mandalay yesterday morning.

However clearance was given to only 65 persons to cross the border while the remaining 72 were left high and dry at Moreh.

Those left behind include the team leader, Director of the State Commerce and Industries Department, Rajesh Agarwal, Deputy Director of Foreign Trade MK Mero and the teams from Nagaland and Meghalaya.

The team minus the prominent members were given the clearance to cross the border only at 2.30 pm today.

Only one of the five officials of the State Govt was given the clearance to proceed towards Mandalay.

The team for Mandalay was stopped at Moreh as the State Commerce and Industries Department had not conducted necessary clearance procedure with regard to Customs etc.

The Myanmarese authority did not give clearance to all the team members as the list of the participants for the seminar was submitted only today morning and there was no time to give Customs clearance to all of them.

It was only after the team led by MLA I Hemochandra contacted the Prime Minister's office last evening that the Myanmarese authority gave the go ahead signal to the team from Manipur though four of its officials had to stay back at Moreh.

The team which left Moreh today at 2.30 for Mandalay may not make it to their destination on time.

The team members from other States, who have been left behind at Moreh, have lodged their strong protest and accused the State Government to deliberately humiliating them.

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