GUWAHATI: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Thursday said the resumption of free movement on National Highway 2 had boosted the state’s economy.
Addressing a gathering after attending “Seva Sankalp Abhiyan” at Tadubi in Senapati, Singh lauded the people of the Naga-majority district for their cooperation in resuming free movement. National Highway 2, Manipur’s lifeline, connects the state with Assam via Nagaland.
The Chief Minister said the Manipur crisis, which erupted on May 3, 2023, had severely affected the state’s economy. The state had incurred an estimated revenue loss of around Rs 1,200 crore in GST collections during the period from 2023 to 2026, he said.
He further stated that bandhs and blockades had adversely affected daily-wage earners and students, and insisted that any differences among communities could be resolved through dialogue.
Public transport services on National Highway 2 had resumed on August 21 this year after a gap of more than three years.
The Chief Minister mentioned that 36 communities residing in the state had cooperated with the then Kings of Manipur during the Manipuri-Burmese War, collectively resisting and successfully driving away the Burmese Army, thereby safeguarding the state. He said all communities in the state must, therefore, work collectively towards achieving a common goal.
Singh expressed concern that Meiteis, Nagas and Kukis, state’s three major communities, were increasingly reluctant to identify themselves as Manipuris. He said for the state to move forward towards peace, people must first identify themselves as Indians and, then, as Manipuris.
Citing Singapore as an example of collective efforts towards development, he observed that the country is home to four different communities who work together towards the common goal of national development and have succeeded in achieving it.
The Chief Minister said the Manipur government had earmarked an estimated Rs 10 crore in the budget for each Assembly constituency for the construction of inter-village roads.
He further stated that, with a view to ensure equitable development across the hill districts, a medical college had been established in Churachandpur during the previous term of the government, and another medical college would now be established in Senapati.
