Manipur Governor La Ganesan was accorded a warm welcome on his maiden visit to Tamenglong district on Thursday
On his arrival at the helipad at the 44th Assam Rifles Battalion headquarters, he was welcomed by deputy commissioner Tamenglong Pawan Yadav, superintendent of police Tamenglong Anupam, 44 Assam Rifles commandant Colonel Rahul Singh and other officials.
Manipur Governor La Ganesan was accompanied by his secretary Bobby Waikhom during his visit to Tamenglong district in Manipur. During his visit to Tamenglong district, he interacted with district level officers of Tamenglong and leaders of CSOs.
An interaction programme was held at the Multipurpose Hall in Apollo Ground where district level officers, civil organisations leaders, students, village authorities, social workers, attended to welcome the governor.
He said that the people in society know how to point out mistakes but do not know how to correct the mistakes. He expressed his desire to visit every district to know the culture and people.
He said, issues pertaining to roadways, healthcare, education etc., are the issues which need special attention. All such issues in the district should be addressed in a time bound manner. All the issues raised by the people are genuine and therefore, he will ask the department concerned to pay their attention at the earliest, he said.
He assured to go through all the memorandums and talk to the chief minister to solve the problems. He continued that Tamenglong is a beautiful place to visit, and the orange of the district is now highly popular not only in the state but in the rest of the country as well.
He further urged the people to vaccinate and stay safe, reminding that it is the only preventive measure from the COVID-19 pandemic .
Expressing concern on the increasing number of youths indulging in drug trafficking and abuses, he said that the issue must be prevented with collective efforts including the likeminded CSOs and people. The state government has already started taking action against the poppy plantations which was welcomed by all, he added.
Deputy commissioner Tamenglong Pawan Yadav made a powerpoint presentation, during which he informed that there are a lot of tourist hotspots in the district but the people are unaware due to bad roads.
Horticulture products are highly potential in the district, he further said, adding, a cold storage has been inaugurated by chief minister of Manipur during recently held state level Orange festival.
The district administration is planning for packaging of horticulture products, including oranges and looking for export facilities to other states but the only railway station is at Khongsang village, he said.
He also mentioned that the National Highway is highly important for Tamenglong. “Tamenglong - Khongsang road is almost completed. The construction of the Tamenglong - Khangchup road is almost completed as well and Tamenglong to Mahur road construction is going on despite some land issues, he added.
He also mentioned about the acute manpower shortages in district hospital Tamenglong where doctors are frequently transferred or refuse to join their duties. Numbers of memorandum were passed on for redressal of different problems and issues, he said.
Tamenglong college vice principal said that of the seven faculties only three faculties are running the college and urged the governor to look into the issue.
District forest officer Amandeep mentioned that Tamenglong district is one of the Hill districts which has more than 90 per cent of forest areas. The demographic profile of the district consists of mainly scheduled tribes and subtribes such as Rongmei, Zemei and Liangmei, making up the majority of population by tribal communities.
He also said the region is known for its biodiversity. “We witness the visit of migratory birds like Amur Falcons almost every year in the forest areas of the district,” he said.
The beautiful lush green topography of the district with waterfalls, famous caves like Tharon, and Zeilad Lake, etc.,the district has the potential to become the number one tourist destination in the state, he said. He further informed that due to lack of flat land in the district, Jhum cultivation is the main method of cultivation.
Most of the necessary demands in the district are met through import which has increased the cost of living, he pointed out.
He also informed the governor of Manipur that the district has a lot of potential in terms of tourism and other horticulture crops and fruits like orange, banana and bamboo which needs to be tapped.
“The major challenges being faced in tapping these resources arise due to lack of all-weather roads which escalates the cost of transportation, making the district unfavorable as a trading destination,” he added.
44 Assam Rifles Tamenglong presented beautiful melodious songs to welcome the guests during the formal programme. Zeme womenfolk showcased beautiful traditional dances.
