CM Biren assures to make Manipur the best tourist spot

Imphal, Sep 27 (UNI): Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Friday announced that a world-class tourist destination would be developed at Noney to attract tourists across the globe to the worlds tallest girder railway bridge (141 metres) being constructed by North East Frontier Railway across the valley of river Ijai.

He further announced that required funds for the development of one tourist spot each in all the 60 Assembly segments of the State would be included in the next budget.

Manipur joined the rest of the world in celebrating the World Tourism Day on Friday.

The State level function was organised by Tourism Department at Longmai Ground in Noney District .

In urban areas, the Chief Minister said, such tourist sites would be developed in the form of cafeterias or eating joints while in rural and hill areas, scenic tourist place cum home would be developed.

Informing that each tourist spot would cost around Rs. 50 lakh, N. Biren Singh stated that Rs. 30 lakh would be borne by the State Government while the remaining Rs. 20 lakh should be contributed from the Local Area Development Fund of the MLAs concerned.

Maintaining that tourism sector is the future of Manipur, and it has the potential to provide employment to thousands of people, the Chief Minister said that this project must be implemented with utmost dedication and sincerity.

Observing that improvement of roads condition is a must to promote Manipur as a tourist-friendly State, the Chief Minister said that the State Government had requested the Centre to upgrade Kaiphundai-Tousem-Haflong road to the standard of National Highway.

He also expressed glad that villagers are ready to donate land for broadening of the said stretch for the project.

In his speech, the Chief Minister also mentioned about the need for development of memorial sites of Rani Gaidinliu and Haipou Jadonang as tourist places.

Regarding helicopter service, N. Biren Singh said that another helicopter service connecting different interior areas with the State capital under Centres UDAN scheme would be launched soon in addition to the existing helicopter service run by Global Vectra Helicorp Ltd.

Stating that the State Government had brought many visible developmental changes in the past two and a half years, the Chief Minister asked the DCs concerned to hold meetings regularly with village leaders to make them aware about completed works and upcoming projects through PowerPoint presentations.

Informing that Tamenglong and Noney districts had received an additional fund of Rs. 90 crore under Hill Area Development Programme, the Chief Minister said that 10 works under the programme are being executed in Noney District.

Stating that various other developmental works are also being taken up in the district, the Chief Minister said that transit accommodation for doctors and teachers and Eklavya Residential School could be mentioned to name a few.