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Our Correspondent
Moirang, Jan. 6 (EMN): Union Home minister Amit Shah, who is on a two-day visit to Manipur, on Friday inaugurated and laid foundation stones of as many as 21 projects costing around INR 1311 crore.
The Union Home minister, accompanied by state chief minister N Biren Singh and council of ministers, inaugurated a 122 feet high Sagol Kangjei (Polo) statue at the Ibudhou Marjing complex at Heingang, 10 km northeast of Imphal.
Shah flew down to Churachandpur, a hill district headquarter 65 km south of Imphal, and inaugurated Churachandpur Medical College, the first medical college in a hill district.
Later, he drove to the historic Moirang located about 45 km south of Imphal in Bishnupur district and inaugurated the Heritage Site for Indian National Army (INA) advanced headquarters and unfurled the tallest tricolour (165ft) in the Northeast.
After the physical inauguration of the polo statue, medical college and INA advanced headquarters, the Union minister also virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of the remaining 18 projects, prior to addressing a public meeting at Chengei Polo Ground at Moirang.
Speaking on the occasion, Shah said, “We promised the people before the election that if we (BJP) are given a chance we will free Manipur from bandh, blockade, curfew and insurgency. After six year of BJP government, the state is free from these.”
On the development front in the northeast, he said the Modi government has replaced the issues of infamous bandhs, curfews, infiltration, drugs and arms trafficking, with development, connectivity, infrastructure, sports, investment and organic agriculture in the region.
The BJP-led government at the Centre has invested INR 3.45 lakh crore in the Northeast in less than eight years, he added.
On inauguration of INA advanced headquarters, he thanked the Manipur government for preserving the house that suffered shelling during the war and for making a memorial of the martyrs of INA.
Shah said the Churachandpur medical college will host 100 medical students of which 22 will be from other states.
On the inauguration of Sagol Kangjei(polo) statue, he said this will surely take the legacy forward and inspire more youngsters and polo-loving people towards the game as polo originated from Manipur.
He also recalled the renaming of Mt. Harriet at Andaman & Nicobar Islands as Mt. Manipur considering the historic movement by Manipur's then Maharaja Kulchandra and his aides against the Britishers.
In his speech, Chief Minister Biren Singh said the Union minister has come to the state to review the developmental works taken up by the present central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and admitted that Shah played a great role in permitting Inner Line Permit System in the State and rechristening of Mount Harriet to Mount Manipur.