MANIPUR APPRISES VISITING MOS OF EXORBITANT AIR FARE
Authorities of Manipur government on Monday urged Union minister of state for home affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar to take up the matter of exorbitant air fare in the state with the concerned Union ministry of civil aviation.
The Union MoS for home affairs arrived in Imphal on Monday on an official tour to the restive Manipur. Immediately after his arrival, he chaired a meeting to review the implementation of Central sponsored schemes and the status of funds released for the relief and rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
On a query about the number of tourists coming to the state, the state official informed the Union minister about the drastic decrease of tourists visiting the state.
They informed that the number of tourists visiting the state has drastically decreased from over 1,79,000 (1,67,000 domestic and 12,000 foreign) in 2019-20 to approximately 17,000 (15,700 domestic and 1,300 foreign) in 2024-25.
Though the decrease was primarily due to civil unrest in the state, another factor deterring tourists from visiting the state was due to exorbitant air fare, the officials informed the Union minister. Additional chief secretary Anurag Bajpai requested the visiting Union minister to take up the matter with the Union ministry of civil aviation, informing that the state has also written to the ministry in this regard.
Union minister of state for home affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar also reviewed implementation of Central sponsored schemes and the status of funds released for the relief and rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The review meeting was held at the conference hall of Old Secretariat in Imphal immediately after the Union MoS arrived in Imphal on Monday afternoon.
During the meeting, the Union minister was briefed on the details of “Fund Released by MHA for Relief Operation & Resettlement/Rehabilitation of IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons)”.
The Union MoS further reviewed various programmes and policies of Central ministries, departments, organizations (including MHA), for ensuring speedy implementation of flagship and other programs, an official source said.
Kumar assessed the status of different programmes being implemented by various departments under the state government like health, education, transport and connectivity, power, tourism, rural development, housing, agriculture and food processing, handloom, handicrafts & textiles among others.
Concerned officials of the state government also briefed the visiting Union MoS on “Action Plans” on improving the above sectors in a time bound manner, the state DIPR said, in a media release.
He also reviewed the projects taken up under 10% Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) through the Union ministry of development of north east region (DoNER) and the expenditures incurred so far at the meet.
Additionally, he also reviewed the status of implementation of the National Oil Palm Mission recently launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Family Welfare. The State officials explained the potentials, challenges and action plan on this Mission.
Various flagship schemes of the Centre and initiatives taken by the state government were also discussed during the meet, which was attended by the administrative secretaries of various state departments, heads of departments and other senior officials.
The Union minister also assured necessary support from the Central government to ensure the development and progress of the state. Later in the evening, Union minister of state Bandi Sanjay Kumar called on Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at Raj Bhavan, Imphal.