IMPHAL, November 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be kind of creating history during his proposed visit to the State by becoming the first Prime Minister of the country to visit the State unit office of his party in Manipur, observed BJP Manipur Pradesh president Th Chaoba today.
Chaoba told media persons during a press meet in connection with the Prime Minister`™s visit at his Nityaipat Chuthek office that several Prime Ministers of the country including both from the BJP and the Congress have visited the State in the past; however none had thought it important to visit the office of their party affiliate.
Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee have all visited the State, but neglected visiting their party offices, he observed.
Narendra Modi had also kicked off his prime ministerial campaign from Manipur which is the eastern most corner of the State, he said while adding that he will continue to be the Prime Minister for 20 years.
Further praising the Prime Minister, the Manipur unit president of the BJP said although it is a common perception of the people that the proposed sports university was granted considering the sporting talents of the State, it was Narendra Modi who announced establishment of a National Sports University in the State.
He said although the previous Prime Ministers were also familiar with the sporting talents of the State, none had considered it fit and appropriate to establish the university in the State before. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced precisely this even before completing six months in office, he continued.
And these are signs that Prime Minister Narendra Modi loves Manipur and its people, he said.
Choaba who is also a former Union Minister of State for Sports also observed that the SAI complex is more suitable for the commencement of the Sports University rather than the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex, because it already has many coaches and the equipment required.
He further lamented the State government`™s insistence to set up the university at Yaithibi Loukon amidst a strong opposition.
After a proper examination of the issue, he said it is very clear that Thoubal is not the proper place for the sports university, elaborating that only about 60 acres out of 400/500 acres for the university have been acquired and at the same time Thoubal is one of the most polluted places in the State with a total of 53 brickfields in the Thoubal.
He further questioned whether Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh keeps the State cabinet under his thumb. The State cabinet approved the selection of Yaithibi Loukon as the site for the university much after the Chief Minister had chosen the site without any dialogue with the affected people, he added.
Chaoba further questioned whether the Chief Minister had taken expert opinion on the selection of the site beforehand.
Meanwhile, continuing to attack the Chief Minister, he said the Chief Minister is deliberately delaying appointment of the RTI commissioner and reviving the now defunct Human Rights Commission in the State in order to make himself stronger.
Chaoba also touched upon several issues including the committee constituted to check the assets of the MLAs with Law and Forest minister Th Devendro as the chairman, non-completion of the City Convention construction even after the Centre has already sanction Rs. 750 crores.
He said the Centre had sanctioned only Rs 500 crore for the construction of the Tripura City Convention which is already completed.
The Manipur government has also included a specific allocation in the State Budget for the Manipur Development Society which is not a government department, but registered under the Co-operative Act, he said.
He also said now that the State chief secretary has refused to hold the office of chairman of the MDS, and the Chief Minister is acting like the chairman.