“We will never allow them to succeed or achieve their goals,” declared Manipur Chief Minister N Biren on Monday concerning the prevailing scenario in the state, while stating that there are entities trying to break up Manipur.
He was speaking at the flagging off ceremony of the Imphal Ring Road project worth Rs 1766 crore at Takyel Khongbal Maning Leikai under Patsoi assembly constituency.
“We are passing through a difficult phase. This is not the first time that we are facing such challenges. During the 1992-93 ethnic conflict, more than 1,000 lives were lost. We are now dealing with elements who want to break up a state which has more than 2,000 years of history,” CM Biren said.
The state has not slept for more than nine months now, CM Biren said, adding that more than 3,000 state forces have been deployed at peripheral areas. He further appealed to the people of the state to help prevent disturbance in Imphal valley.
“Let the valley be peaceful. Let the protection of Manipur be our sole duty. No more rallies. Let us identify and face the real enemies of the state,” he appealed. The state had improved a lot during the last six years and the relationship between police and people had also improved, he said.
“However, we cannot tolerate elements who want to destroy the state by supplying drugs and engaging in widespread deforestation and poppy cultivation and bringing in illegal immigrants from outside,” Biren said. “We need to unite and stop making allegations. There may be lapses but we need to forgive and forget to save the land,” he added.
Speaking about the ring road project, he said that the state government has taken up the project with the objective to ease out the problem of traffic congestion in Imphal areas with financial assistance from Asian Development Bank (ADB).
On the Imphal Ring Road project, Biren said that the Rs 1,700 crore project was prompted due to the increase in population and traffic congestion within the capital Imphal.
The project had been on the cards from 2015-16 but was expedited in 2020. The project is being funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The length of road to be covered is 51.23 km. It will be completed by December 2026.
The chief minister further informed that the Lamphelpat Water Body Rejuvenation Project had been taken up with an estimated cost of around Rs 650 crores. The project includes 300 acres of water body area and around 140 acres for recreation centre, he added. He further spoke on the plans of the Government to connect the recreation centre and the Imphal View Tower at Cheirao Ching through cable cars.
He announced plans to develop the ground at Takyel Khongbal Maning Leikai under ‘Khungang Ama Sanabung Ama’. He also informed that the Oriental College at Patsoi Assembly Constituency would be developed with a project costing Rs 6.40 crore. Apart from this, the college will be covered under the College Fagathansi Mission to improve its infrastructure with an amount of Rs. 2.5 crore under the scheme, he said.
Further stating on the development plans to be taken up in Patsoi assembly constituency, he informed that road development work would be taken up with an estimated cost of Rs 7.2 crore from the State Budget. Works minister Govindas Konthoujam said that the plan for the Ring Road Project started in 2015-16; however, the project was approved in 2020. He continued that the total distance of the ring road project is 51.23 km.
The most interesting part of the project is that it includes a noise pollution control mechanism, which is first of its kind in India and it will be an environmentally friendly road, he added.
He informed that 9.5 km of the road would be of 4 lanes, while 41.5 km would be of 2 lanes with paved shoulders. The road includes an 18 km stretch of green field with a solar lamp footpath and cycle lane. He mentioned that various amenities like food plazas would be set up along the 4-lane stretch road. Within the 4-lane stretch, provision of cycle lanes and jogging lanes would be included in a stretch of 1 km.
The minister continued that out of the total cost of Rs 1766 crore, an amount of Rs 1374.75 crores would be sanctioned by ADB for construction of road and bridges and the remaining amount would be borne by the state and the Central government for land acquisition and others. 90 per cent of the loan amount sanctioned by the ADB would be of grant and the remaining 10 per cent (Rs 137.47 crore) of the loan amount and the interest would be repaid, he added.
