IMPHAL, April 5 - With the active participation of about 600 enterpreneurs, the first ever week-long Manipur Industrial Expo, 2016 got under way at the Lamboi Khongnangkok Industrial Park, about 2.5 km west of Imphal, on Monday.
Manipur Commerce and Industries Minister Govindas Konthoujam and Union Textile Ministry Secretary Rashmi Verma, in their separate speeches during the inaugural session on Monday, remarked that the setting up of Apparel and Garment Making Centres in northeastern States and introduction of a special scheme for promoting the Oak Tasar in Manipur � the fifth largest producer of silkworm in the country, will help in addressing the issues of livelihood of the villagers, particularly the weavers.
Stating that the government has a plan to promote Lamboi Khongnangkhong as the industrial hub of the State and planning to set up a permanent trade-cum-exhibition space and apparel and garment making centre in the area, Govindas said the State will also try to develop industrial estates for Senapati, Tamenglong and Imphal East districts under the initiative of the State Chief Minister.
The ongoing expo is a platform to provide employment and generate income under the �Make in Manipur� initiative, which aims to achieve the objective without any extra financial burden to the State, he added.
On the other hand, the visiting Textile Ministry Secretary, Rashmi Verma expressed the need to promote handloom, handicraft and sericulture of Manipur as the State is going to be a big business hub for the South Asian countries.
The landlocked State would be connected by the Indian Railways by 2019 as the ongoing Tupul-Jiribam sector will be completed by this year end, said State Chief Secretary O Nabakishore, while delivering the keynote address of the opening session of the expo.
A large number of officials from the Central ministries, neighbouring States, besides a good number of entrepreneurs are taking part in the expo by opening more than 630 stalls, excluding 25 government department stalls.
Bandh called: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the killing of Pampha Rai has imposed a 24-hour bandh along National Highway-39 with effect from 6 pm of April 5 till 6 pm of April 6 demanding stringent action against the culprit who allegedly raped and murdered the woman.
The JAC urged the government to assure that judgment on the incident be given at the earliest and also sought the cooperation of all concerned in its fight for justice.
