IMPHAL, November 12: The Zeliangrong Youth Front (Assam, Manipur & Nagaland) has categorically stated that the State government plan to organize `Orange Festival` on December 9 at Tamenglong district HQ without any specific fund allocation from the government exchequer despite the fact of the festival being celebrated for the last about ten years shows `complete neglect` to orange production of the district which is a great insult to people of the district.
In a statement, the ZYF (AMN) said the festival has been celebrated every year since ten years ago without any specific fund but purely depending on donation and contribution from different departments and individuals under the initiative of Horticulture department is quite shameful which never deserves to call a State govt. sponsored festival.
There is no renovation or beautification of any structures in the district and even the life line district HQ road was not repaired during the last many Orange festivals held in the district unlike other festivals celebrated in Imphal, it pointed out.
It said hectic preparation for the celebration of the Sangai festival is going on with huge amount of money invested by the State government in renovations and beautifications works of many structures, painting, varnishing and repairing of roads in and around Imphal areas. Even the structures that had been executed and done last year with incurring huge amount of public money has been demolished to construct newly in order to give impressive and luster looks in Imphal areas, the statement further claimed.
Stating that Kangla Moat is undergoing beautification works with huge amount of money costing more than Rs 6 crores although the beautification works of the Moat involving huge amount was done just few years ago, the ZYF (AMN) also alleged that different departments such as Tourism, PWD, MAHUD, PDA, Power etc are some of the major departments actively involved in holding the festival successful every year with many contractors and firms earning huge profits.
The ZYF in the statement made it clear that Naga people will not accept any dignitaries who resorted to communal politics and condemn the people cause by using festival platform.