Moving on with the nearly one and half year of ethnic conflict in Manipur, Chief Minister N Biren Singh inaugurated 24 projects and laid the foundation stone of 18 projects worth Rs 349.51 crore in Tamenglong district on Wednesday.
N Biren Singh chaired a cabinet meeting in Tamenglong district, an area dominated by the majority Naga tribe and a small population of Kuki, and gave a message of restoration of normalcy.
A total of 24 projects, including Bailey Suspension Bridge (360-foot span) over the Barak river along Tamenglong Tousem-Haflong road, District Early Intervention Centre at District Hospital Tamenglong, water supply schemes etc were inaugurated.
Among the projects where the foundation stone was laid were the construction of Type-II, III and IV quarters in Tamenglong Police Station, construction of Type-II and III quarters in Tamei and Tousem Police Station and Type-II quarters in Kaimai Police Station, improvement of quality of road from Kaiphundai (on NH-37) to Tousem 56.65 km construction of rigid pavement with thin white topping and interlocking paver blocks in Hill District Headquarters.
Addressing the gathering at Apollo ground, N Biren Singh said that Tamenglong will be the gateway of Manipur since the road connectivity is going to give a new standard of life. He mentioned that Tamenglong-Mahur road (NH-137) construction is in full swing. Once it’s completed, people will easily be connected to Assam.
The Chief Minister also expressed concerns over illegal immigrants. He said, “One thing we have to keep in mind is that along the Tamenglong-Mahur road, which connects Assam, many illegal immigrants will enter and this will pose a big threat to the indigenous people of Manipur.
Highlighting the success of the “Go to Hills” initiative, he stated that it has allowed the government to identify and address local issues effectively.
In Manipur, several companies of Assam rifles have been withdrawn and replaced by CAPF by the union home ministry. Not any major aggression has been witnessed so far this year in Manipur as compared to the previous year.
Manipur has been rocked by sporadic violence since May 3, 2023, between the majority Meiteis and the Kukis over quotas and economic benefits. The ongoing violence has killed over 200 people and displaced thousands.