FROM TODAY, DRY RUN IN 4 STATES
Says Manipur was known for bandhs, insurgency and blockades, now most militant groups have joined mainstream
NEW DELHI: With a January target to roll out the Covid-19 vaccination drive, the Centre is starting dry run in Punjab, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat from Monday. The exercise will continue for two days, in two districts each. There will be no vaccine involved in the process, which will only check the feasibility of the plan.
IMPHAL: Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday capped off his two-day visit to the northeast with a foundation stone laying ceremony in Manipur’s capital city, Imphal. Highlighting the slew of development projects launched by BJP government at the Centre, Shah stated that Manipur - “once a hotbed of insurgency” - is now experiencing a new thrust in development.
“Earlier, Manipur was known for insurgency, bandhs, and blockades, but now most militant organisations have joined the mainstream and those left would also do so following efforts of the BJP government,” he said. Shah heralded the recently granted Inner-Line Permit (ILP) system as the best gift for the people of Manipur, one that fulfilled their long standing demand.
“Besides granting statehood to Manipur the gift of ILP is the best gift BJP has given the people of Manipur,” the home minister said.
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the decision to grant ILP to Manipur, Shah said, “Modiji realised that Manipur is not having the Inner Line Permit when other states surrounding it had it which is injustice to the indigenous people and he found a way.”
The ILP is an official travel document issued by the concerned state government to allow travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period. It is obligatory for the citizens from outside those states to obtain a permit for entering into the protected state. The objective behind this is to prevent settlement of other Indian nationals in ILP states so as to protect the indigenous population and their access to land, jobs, and other facilities. Besides Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland also come under the ILP system.
Shah also talked about the IT SEZ worth Rs 950 crore that will be soon opened which he estimated would contribute around ₹4,600 crore towards Manipur’s GDP.
The home minister also promised a medical hospital in a designated tribal area and urged chief minister N Biren Singh to look into establishing a college for forensic sciences in Manipur in collaboration with the esteemed Institute of Forensic Science for the benefit of the students here.