Imphal: Chief Minister N Biren Singh Saturday was given a rousing welcome when at Maram Khullen village in Senapati district where he attended a Community Outreach Programme as the chief guest.
During his maiden visit to the interior village, which is associated with the legendary love story of King Paikhomba and Maram chief’s daughter Engellei, he announced various development projects to be taken up at Maram area and Senapati District besides distributing benefits under various schemes of Government Departments.
To Maram people’s much delight present at the occasion in huge numbers, he announced the opening of SDO’s office Maram and Maram Police station, up-gradation of Maram PHC to CHC and Maram Khullen PHSC to PHC. He also handed over a work order to the agency concerned for the development of Sadim Pukhri and Hinga Shrine, associated with the love story of King Paikhomba and Engellei.
Speaking on the occasion, N. Biren said that the present government runs within a system and every work programme had been implemented after thorough discussion with concerned officials. As such, the government had been able to maintain a good relationship with the public, he added. He assured to provide tap water to the people of Maram Khullen. He continued that the Government had been working hard to provide all the necessary infrastructures to every district of the state.
Urging the people not to pay heed to false information spread by vested interest groups which aim to create enmity among communities, he maintained that the state government has been working for inclusive development and added that a white paper on fund flow to the hills districts had been brought out recently.
Around 45 per cent of the total state budget had been allocated to hill districts in the last two and half years. He also appealed to the youth of hill districts to apply for Start-Up scheme as only few had applied for the same so far. He further maintained that road and transport, health, water supply and education infrastructure have improved significantly under the people-oriented programmes taken up by the present government.
Stressing the need to develop hill districts in order to achieve the overall development of the country, the chief minister stated that certain development programmes had been taken up under the Hill Areas Development Programme (HADP) of the central government. He mentioned that 90 crore Rupees had earlier been allocated to Tamenglong District in 2018 and added that the Centre had been asked for allocation of funds under HADP for remaining hill districts as well. He maintained that the state government, which has been giving priority to poor and needy people since its formation, had introduced schemes for the welfare of the people such as Chief Minister-gi Hakshelgi Tengbang (CMHT), CM’s Health for All and School Fagathansi Mission among others.
N Biren informed that the water supply scheme being constructed at Senapati District would be inaugurated very soon and once the water supply scheme is functional, almost 90 per cent of the population of the district would be provided with tap water. He also informed that around 16,698 households of the district had been electrified, 806 houses had been constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 20,096 households had been provided a connection with tap water supply under Har Ghar Jal Scheme, 33 roads had been constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and 45,803 persons had enrolled under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, out of which 3,587 persons had been given free treatment.
The chief minister also stated that the overall percentage of households with tap water supply in the state has now increased from the earlier 5 per cent to around 53 per cent. The government aims to achieve 80 per cent coverage of tap water supply by the end of the year. Regarding a proposal to construct a market at Maram, he assured to construct it under the horticulture department very soon at the location provided by the locals. He assured to blacktop the approach road to Maram Khullen soon.
Maintaining that the state government will always work under the ambit of the Indian Constitution, he informed that the State Government is discussing the Autonomous District Council (ADC) Bill with the Central Government as certain parts contained in the bill is beyond the jurisdiction of the State Government. He continued that the Government would never go against the interest of its people and appealed not to insist the Government take up steps on matters that couldn’t be done by the State Assembly. He also informed that the Government is considering providing more autonomy to ADC.
Appreciating the leadership of prime minister Narendra Modi under whose supervision, more than 100 crore people of the Country had been vaccinated with the COVID Vaccine, he stated that COVID Vaccination Express had been taken up to vaccinate all the eligible people. He urged all the people to get vaccinated at the earliest so as to prevent ourselves from likely infection of new variants
During the programme, he also flagged off COVID Vaccination Express of Senapati district and laid the foundation stone for the Science Block of Don Bosco College, Maram. He also released the Maram Text Book for Class IX and X published by the Board of Secondary Education Manipur.
PHED minister Losii Dikho, education minister Sorokhaibam Rajen, agriculture minister Oinam Lukhoi, deputy speaker Kongkham Robindro, Senapati ADC caretaker chairman A Kapani, chief secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar, administrative secretaries and head of departments of the state government were also present.
