Our Correspondent
Imphal, Jan. 6 (EMN): Finally Air India has introduced Imphal-Delhi direct flight service from January 2 considering the public demand.
There would be two flights in a week on Sun. and Tues. as of now.
The flight from New Delhi will take off around 9.30 am and arrive at Imphal International airport at around 12.15 in the afternoon. Similarly it will take off from Imphal airport at around 3.35 pm and reach at Delhi around 6 in the evening.
This will save at least one hour time, according to sources in Imphal. Earlier people used to stop for an hour at Guwahati airport on way to New Delhi from Imphal or Imphal to New Delhi.
Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh also informed about the new information on connectivity to reporters at Imphal on Thur. evening.
“I’ve talked with the top officials of Air Asia and Airports Authority of India to facilitate launching of daily Imphal-Delhi direct flights too,” Biren said and expressed confidence that Air Asia might introduce daily flights between Imphal and the national capital from the first week of April this year.
He also informed that he had requested Air Asia officials to introduce direct flights from Imphal to cities like Chennai, Bengaluru etc, where sizable number of Manipuri people are residing.
Interestingly Imphal which once had a single flight to New Delhi on a weekly basis is now having at least 8 to 10 flights in a day.
Regarding a news report on supply of sub-standard quality of belts in police department and subsequent inaction from the government’s side, Biren clarified that the state government had constituted an Inquiry committee to probe the supply of uniform and web equipment items to the Manipur Police Department during 2013-14.
An FIR was lodged against the said supplier and investigation is on apart from blacklisting the firm, he said while adding that the High Court of Manipur had quashed and set aside the Government order.
Further, on the basis of the inquiry report, the state government had taken action by placing the two serving officers Faumei Gonglin, the then commanding officer of 2nd MR and M Kumarjit Singh, the then Assistant Commandent of 1st MR under suspension, he said while adding that the government had also withheld the pension of S Manglemjao Singh, a retired IGP and the then Chairman of the Line Committee.
