A MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED TO
PU N. BIREN SINGH
HON'BLE CHIEF MINISTER OF MANIPUR
BY
THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE OF THE GINGER FESTIVAL-CUM-BUSINESS SUMMIT HELD AT PARBUNG, PHERZAWL DISTRICT ON APRIL 20, 2018
Hon'ble Sir,
On behalf of the Organizing Committee of the First Ginger Festival -cum- Business Summit, 2018, Parbung, Pherzawl District, Manipur and on my own behalf. I would like to convey our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to you for accepting our humble request to grace today's event as the Chief Guest.
To begin with, Pherzawl District was created on December 8. 2016 comprising of around 200 villages. Pherzawl District is rich with natural resources. There are various types of cash crops cultivated in the district, out of which ginger stands as the foremost. It has been estimated that the district produces at least 1500 metric tonnes of organic ginger every year. The nearest outlet for the sale of raw ginger is Lakhipur or Silchar in Cachar district of Assam, which is around 150 km from the interior villages of the district.
It has been observed that ginger price is controlled and monopolized internally by the local purchaser or middlemen and externally by the international demand. In view of this, the price fluctuates over the years and the ginger farmers who invested their entire physical assets, time and energy often ruined their livelihood due to fluctuation and inconsistent price of ginger. Since there are no other cash crops that can substitute ginger, the hill farmers have to stick to ginger farming despite prices perpetually going down throughout the years.
Hon'ble Sir, in view of the issues highlighted, I would earnestly implore your high office and your government to have a considerate view on the following points:
1. For the welfare of Ginger Growers
(i) The Government may institute a body, department or an agency to collectively buy the entire ginger products of Pherzawl district and formulate a channel for further exporting outside through the Government initiative;
(ii) Formulate strict control over prices year after year so that any middleman or a local businessman should not exploit the ginger farmers. For instance, a local businessman could offer a price which is slightly higher than the price offered by the Government, which is detrimental to the policy and the long-term prospects of the growers;
(iii) Optimize all kinds of resources such as technical know-how, expertise, knowledge, the supply of good seedlings, etc. to enhance quality and increased scale of production of ginger crop; and,
(iv) Installation of cold storage for preserving raw ginger crops and setting up of a ginger processing plant in the area.
2. Accessibility of the District
A serious bottleneck that hampers development in the area is lack of road in national highway No. 2 (formally known as NH 150) has become almost defunct due to services and renovations. People in the area are undergoing immense difficulties in moving and transporting their local products outside. Due to the absence of good road and accessibility, people from outside consider Pherzawl District as uninhabitable. Thus, there is no scope for investors venturing into the Pherzawl District. We are happy to your government for taking initiative for handing over of NH 2 and Jiri-Tipaimukh Road from the lethargic BRO/BRTF to the vibrant NHIDCL. We hope and pray that the National Highway 2/150 connecting Churachandpur and Tipaimukh, as well as Jiribam-Tipaimukh Road along with bridge over river Barak is initiated in right earnest and as top priority of your government. These roads are important not only for the people of Pherzawl district but the whole state as they will be the Third Lifeline (after Dimapur-Imphal and, Jiri-Imphal) of the state. The Barak river waterway connecting Ruonglevaisuo/Tipaimukh with Hmarkhawlien in Assam is the only existing connectivity of the area to the outside world at present. It is also pertinent to develop the Barak river waterway scientifically as it is more economical compared to other means of transport.
3. Health Issues
There is a Community Health Centre (CHC) at Parbung, Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Thanlon, Senvon, Ankhasuo and Patpuihmun villages. Public Health Sub-Centre (PHSC) is located at few more villages. However, these CHC/PHCs/PHSCs exist on paper only and perhaps, among the Health Centres one or two that actually exists are with dilapidated buildings and are without Doctors or Nurses most of the time. Due to lack of medical facilities, death rates are high in the district. It is highly essential that the above Health Centres must function in their full strength.
4. District Hospital
It is also the utmost requirement of the people of Pherzawl District to have at least two fully-commissioned hospitals at two strategic points to cater people of far- flung areas in the district.
5. Vocational Training Centre
It is learnt that Pherzawl District does not have a single Vocational Training Centre or a District Industrial Centre to cater to the requirement of the people in the district. Therefore, it is our sincere request to the government to set up at least one each of Vocational Training Centre and District Industrial Centre.
6. Higher Educational Institution
Respected Sir, not a single college exists in Pherzawl District. Therefore, we ask for your considerate view to kindly set up a full-fledged college in the district so that those who are unable to afford to attend higher education outside the district could avail these facilities locally.
7. Administrative Offices
Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Pherzawl, SDO Office at Thanlon, Parbung and Patpuihmun villages are non-functional in their buildings. We shall be grateful if your esteemed office could direct officials and authorities concerned to make these administrative departments practically functional in their respective offices within the district.
8. Bank and Financial Institution
A State Bank of India branch has recently been inaugurated at Thanlon. Other than that, bank/financial institutions are nonexistent in the rest of the district. We, therefore, request that at least three nationalized banks may be made functional within the district.
We are thankful to you and your government for the installation of Power Sub-Station at Thanlon and another Power Sub-Station which is soon coming up at Sipuikawn. We express our heartfelt gratitude for the introduction of PHERZAWL EXPRESS bus connecting Imphal with Pherzawl. We firmly believe that you and your government Will take a serious step forward to complete the highway and inter-village road connections so that the PHERZAWL EXPRESS service could extend up to Sipuikawn and even beyond.
Hon'ble Chief Minister, we wish you and your government the hest wishes in your future endeavour and success in the years to come.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
(LALRINGUM INBUON)
Chairman
Organising Committee,
Ginger Festival -cum- Business Summit
Copy to: -
1. Th. Pu Th. Biswajit Singh. Hon'ble Minister (Works, RD & PR, Commerce & Industry, Power, AR&T, IPR), Manipur
2. Pu V. Hangkhanlian, Hon'ble Minister (Agriculture, Vety & AH), Manipur
3. Pu Th. Shyamkumar, Hon'ble Minister (Horti & SC, Forest & Environment, MAHUD, Town Planning). Manipur
4. Pi Nemcha Kipgen, Hon'ble Minister (Social Welfare & Corporation). Manipur
5. Pu Vungzagin Valte, Hon'ble Chairman, Manipur Tribal Development Corporation (MTDC), Manipur
6. Pu Dr. Chalton lien Amo, Hon'ble MLA, Tipaimukh A/C (Pherzawl District). Manipur
7. The Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur, Imphal
8. The Deputy Commissioner, Pherzawl District, Government of Manipur 9. All Concern
(LALRINGUM INBUON)
Chairman
Organising Committee,
Ginger Festival -cum- Business Summit
