15th Orange Festival kicks off : CM Biren promises financial aid to orange growers
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, December 08 2018: The 15th State Level Orange Festival was kicked off at Mini ground, Tamenglong district headquarters today.

Chief Minister N Biren, who graced the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest, conveyed that the State Government has delivered the services it had promised to the people in time.

Citing the accomplishments of the State Government, N Biren said that the Government has improved road connectivity a lot, constructed women markets, launched helicopter service, MST service, doctor's transit house, Tamenglong water supply scheme, FCI godown, SBI Tamei Branch etc which best describe what a good governance is.

Biren assured all the orange growers in Tamenglong district that under the Start-up programme, they will have the opportunity of receiving financial aid if they can provide necessary documents including blue print of their farm lands, number of orange plants planted, photographs with the approval of the Deputy Commissioner of Tamenglong.

The CM further directed the Department of Horticulture to set up a research team/committee within a week so as to look into the problems faced by the orange growers of the district.

15th Orange Festival kicks off

Under the SAMPADA scheme or from the State fund, cold storage will also be set up at the earliest for the orange farmers, he assured.

From the year, 2014 till 2018, the orange production has remain stagnant at 43.81 metric tonnes, he noted and underlined the need for cooperation between the orange growers and the Department concerned for higher production of oranges in Tamenglong.

He appealed to the people of the district to choose whether to celebrate Amur Falcon festival or Orange Festival as a State festival from next year.

Land encroachments at different areas including District Court and Jail, District Information Offices, Horticulture and Fishery office will be solved with the help of the district administration very soon, Biren said.

Horticulture and Soil Conservation Minister Th Shyamkumar, CAF & PD Minister Karam Shyam and MLAs attended the 15th State Level Orange Festival as dignitaries.

As a part of the function, Chief Minister N Biren launched a news website "www.dicham.com" of one of the most circulated newspaper in Tamenglong district.

President of the function, Minister Shyamkumar said Tamenglong orange has a unique taste as it is grown on a soil which is favourable for the plant.

The orange farmers will be able to generate income from orange cultivation, he said while adding that Horticulture Department has been helping orange farmers of Tamenglong and will continue to extend assistance in the future as well.

Meanwhile, Minister Karam Shyam conveyed that Rs 90 crore will be sanctioned for development of Tamenglong district as a part of the Hill Area Development Program.

He opined that Tamenglong will be one of the developed districts in Manipur if the vast lands of the district and the sanctioned money are put to good use and the district is made self reliant.

Altogether 173 orange growers participated in the festival in which they shared their experiences and hope to the dignitaries present there.

District administration office also opened Government stalls with the objective of providing information to the people who attended the function today.

More than 1000 people attended the festival.