CM's CCpur date today, bandh dropped

Sinlianmang Guite
Lamka, Apr 12: Following hectic parleys and a couple of delays over minor local issues, the Chief Minister is finally set to visit the district tomorrow to unveil the five biggest projects ever undertaken in the district.
The district bandh called by the JAC of DPC faced primary teachers for ADC has also been called off following assurance from the Government.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of a ZEPADA function at an interior village today, Power Minister T Phungzathang announced that Chief Minis- ter O Ibobi will visit Chura-chandpur on a chopper tomorrow for a record event in the district.
'Tomorrow the Chief Minister will visit the district to unveil five mega- projects,' he told a handful of journalists.
The Chief Minister, he said, will first lay the foundation stones for mini- secretariat and mini-stadium at Tuibuang Peace Ground, a stone's throw away from the helipad where he is set to land.
He will then proceed to Tualnuam village, an out-skirt locality in the south to lay another foundation stone for the FCI Godown. From there the Chief Minister and his entourage will return to Tuibuang village to inaugurate an AIR station, the commissioning for which was delayed for more than a decade due to a tussle among the kindred tribes, against the Ministry's sanction, for the link language.
The Chief Minister's visit will finally wind up at the ADC compound where he will address a public meeting after inaugurating the newly constructed ADC office; a structure that is also all set to house the ADC secretariat after the much hyped MDC election.
Tonsing also assured before the media that DPC result for primary teachers under ADC will be declared before the MDC election notification, prompting the JAC to withdraw its proposed bandh on Tuesday and boycott on the Chief Minister's visit.
Also addressing the media moments after minister's assurance, JAC Chairman Lalpi Guite said the proposed bandh and boycott they had earlier announce through the media was call off. 'There will be no bandh nor any form of boycott tomorrow,' he said.
(TSE)




Coffee project launched
S Singlianmang Guite
Lamka, Apr 12: A coffee project of the ZEPADA named after the incumbent Union Home Secreteary GK Pillai was launched by the state Horticulture Minister T Phungzathang today at Tangpizawl village, about 5 kms from the sub-divisional hqtrs of Singngat.
The 50 hectare project undertaken by ZEPADA with the active support of Coffee Board of India was the pet-project of a 2008 Seminar initiated by Pillai, the then commerce Minister. 300 Ha of coffee planta- tion was approved for the district by the Coffee Board during 2009-13, and today's programme unveil commencement of plantation in above 30 Ha as the first phase. The project expansion will depend on the success of the nursery that was raised by the agency at Tangpizawl and Salvaphai villages, said Dutta, Coffee Board's Joint Director.
Being a shade and rain loving plant, the coffee project will depend on how well they receive the two, he said. 'I believe, within 5 to 6 years with the initiative of ZEPADA and the farmers Manipur would come under the Coffee Map,' he adds with optimism, hoping the now barren lands would transform for a more favourable ecology with the colle- ctive effort of the people.
Land lease agreement for 30 years that will require farmers to pay a loyalty fee of Rs. 200 per Ha to the donor- the village Chief was also penned on the occasion. Hailing the initiative taken up by ZEPADA for realizing a stable land base farming to ensure a stable livelihood as 'a milestone,' Tonsing assures all forms of assistance from his side to ensure that the cash rich crop succeed in the district. (TSE)