The visiting Union home minister, who arrived in the state on November 2, inaugurated a 33/11 power sub-station each in Tamei Sub-division and Tousem sub-division of Tamenglong district and another school building of the Jawaharlal Novodya Vidyalaya (JNV) at the district headquarter today.
Further delivering his speech at the multipurpose hall of the newly inaugurated mini secretariat, the Union minister said that even after 64 years of India’s Independence people in remote areas of Manipur are deprived with basic amenities like drinking water, better connectivity, education, schools, sanitation etc, and added that the failure is “unacceptable”.
Implicating the deprivation with the delay in completion of works by implementing agencies, the Union home minister pointed out that the JNV school building inaugurated today is one such example.
He asserted that the foundation stone for the construction of the school building was laid in 2005 but the building got inaugurated in 2011, still with the approached road of the school incomplete. He termed such incompletion and delay of works as “unacceptable”.
“Money is not a constraint but the delay is” he said, before urging all the work implementing agencies, contractors to expedite there work to avail the benefit to the people in time.
The Union home minister revealed that 100 percent of funds allotted to the Manipur government from Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resource (NLCPR) and North East Council (NEC) is spent by the government concerned in developing Hill areas. Moreover, another 39 percent of the general budget of the state is also spent entirely in the Hill areas with an intention to bring equal development in both valley and hills areas, he asserted.
He termed the initiative as a major step forward to improving governance in the state.
P Chidambaram while urging the people to learn to live in a peaceful co-existence asked the people using violence and at the same time appealed the UNC to lift their agitations. “Blockade, kidnapping, killings and above all violence is not the solution, differences can be resolved through dialogue”, he said.
He also invited the UNC saying that the centre’s door is always open for dialogue.
Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh reiterating the government’s commitment in the hill areas of the state said that besides the existing initiatives his government is planning to invest maximum funds in the hill areas to bring equal development.
He informed the gathering that a 33/11 power substation each in Tousem and Tamei have been inaugurated during the visit of the Union home minister.
Asserting that health sector remains one of the top priority of the government he urged the work implementing agencies engaged in building the 50 bedded hospital in Tamenglong, health centre in Tamei, to expedite their works.
After all the developmental projects are completed, Tamenglong will become one of the most advance district in the state, said O Ibobi and asserted that the only bottle neck hampering work is “outside interference”.
The Chief Minister also assured to develop the road connectivity in the district however said it could take some time.
The inauguration function was also attended by MPCC president Gaikhangam, power and horticulture minister, Phungzathang Tonsing, Tamei MLA Awangbou Newmai, Tamenglong MLA Khamthonang Pamei, joint secretary NE, MHA, Shambu Singh and Tamenglong DC.
A number of memorandums were also submitted to the Union home minister by several Zeliangrong civil bodies, village headmen, women organizations.
The inaugural event was marked by performances of traditional dance, songs etc.
The Home Minister left Imphal this afternoon.
Everyone knows that! What the heck he will do even after witnessing this malaise? Will he take the state govt and the department to task, penalise them? I do not think so! Do u?