Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh on Wednesday agreed to set up small museums, each at a cost of Rs 10 lakh, for all communities settled in the state, to be built in their native villages.
He also agreed to the creation of a WhatsApp group, comprising about 50 hill leaders of the state and the chief minister, so that any urgent issue or grievance of the people could be learnt immediately and addressed accordingly.
The resolutions were adopted at a discussion-cum-lunch hosted by Biren Singh at the Durbar Hall of the chief minister’s secretariat. Nearly 50 leaders, representing apex organisations of different communities settled in the state, took part in the discussion which mainly focused on effective tackling of the coronavirus pandemic and other issues faced by the hill people owing to the lockdown.
The chief minister told the gathering that the pandemic could be dealt with through proper awareness.
The discussion with the chief minister was significant considering the fact that 25 out of the 41 Covid-19 positive patients in Manipur are from the hill districts.
Asserting that Manipur’s population was too small to compare with other states, Biren Singh said it may face a very difficult situation owing to the pandemic, if the people are not cautious and take effective steps in time.
He also appealed to the public to ignore rumours and trust only the advisories and guidelines issued by credible agencies like WHO, ICMR, Union health and home ministries, among others.
He expressed confidence that all the infected persons would be cured as Manipur’s doctors, nurses and paramedical staff were quite capable, and they have been working day and night with full dedication. The state would overcome the crisis with the support and cooperation of the people, he added.
The hill leaders expressed gratitude to the chief minister for a fruitful discussion and listening to their problems caused by the pandemic and the lockdown. Awareness leaflets on Covid-19, printed in different dialects, were distributed to the hill leaders.
