Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh clarified on the dispute surrounding the process of land acquisition for construction of National Sports University in the state.
Addressing the 1st state-level Mahila Congress Campaign Committee meeting at the Congress Bhawan today, the Chief Minister said the land dispute at Yaithibee Loukon has been brought to an amicable solution following a compromise between the two parties on the issue and state government has already acquired 400 acres of land which is readily available for the construction to start.
However, we don’t know what the Centre is waiting for till date, the Chief Minister added.
Ibobi said ever since the BJP led NDA came to power at the Centre some two and half years ago, all they have done is to give lip service. They have never taken up any actual work of development, he added.
He said it is the talent of the sportspersons in the international arena that has brought the university in the state.
Ibobi continued the centre had initially asked the state for 200 acres of land for the construction of the university, for which we had provided 336 acres of land at Yaithibee Loukon.
However, the construction has not started yet, he said, adding that the dispute was only for 33.6 acres of the total 336 acres.
Ibobi added the land dispute has also been settled now.
He said now we have around 400 acres of land readily available for the construction.
Ibobi said other than the Congress party there is no other party in the country which has work for the states in the NE region.
It was the Congress who started the Look East Policy which the BJP has now turned into the Act East Policy, he asserted.
Under this policy, we have union minister arriving in the NE region including the state every fortnight, the Chief Minister said adding that however other than talk they have never done anything.
The Chief Minister said there is no new developmental project taken up by the centre for the region.
He said the Manmohan Singh government had set up the National Sports Academy in the state which is now functioning smoothly in the state.
Ibobi added we have no clue as to why the centre is not allowing commencement of classes for the sports university, although we had approached the centre several times to begin classes either at the Khuman Lampak Sports complex of the SAI Sports complex both of which have enough infrastructure.
He continued the bill for the construction of the National Sports University is yet to be passed in the Parliament.
People should not believe the false promises of the BJP, he said adding that the party is just bluffing and giving false promises to gather some sympathy of the people before the 2017 election.
We have to work hard, he told the party workers.
He said we will soon highlight the Congress government’s achievement in the last 15 years in the state through Manipur Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee public messages.
All India Mahila Congress Committee president Shobha Oza said we have kicked off the Mahila Congress campaign for the upcoming state Assembly election with the hope to bring back the Congress government for the fourth term in state.
During the UPA-I and II, the Congress led government in the centre had launched and implemented several welfare projects for the people including the MNREGA.
Unfortunately, we lost in the last parliamentary election, she added.
As for Manipur, she said, peace has been brought to the state during the last 15 years.
Before outsiders were afraid of sending their wards to Manipur due to the bad law and order situation, she said. But now the situation has improved drastically, she added.
The Modi led BJP government in the centre has only made promises to bring changes but in reality, it has not fulfilled a single promise, she complained.
The BJP is targeting to win the NE states by hook or by crook, she said, and further appealed to the elected members not to fall prey to the BJP trap.
Reacting to a remark from the BJP that the Congress was like an expired medicine, deputy chief minister Gaikhangam said all the expired medicines have been thrown out of the party. Unfortunately the BJP has collected some expired medicine, he added
He further compared BJP to an empty vessel and said the party can only make sounds and nothing else.
The BJP, he said, may have lots of time for loose talks, which the Congress doesn’t have.
The meeting was also attended by MPCC president TNHaokip, AIMCC general secretary and in-charge Manipur Jarjum Ete, Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee president Sahenj and Congress MLAs.