GOVERNMENT OF MANIPUR
CHIEF MINISTER’S SECRETARIAT: IMPHAL
PRESS RELEASE
Imphal, June 29, 2022 (DIPR): The 10th State Level Pineapple Festival cum Buyers and Sellers Meet and Youth Festival, 2017 concluded at Yairipok Thambalnu Market under Andro AC amidst much fanfare today.
Chief Minister Shri N. Biren Singh and Horticulture and Soil Conservation Minister and local MLA Shri Th. Shyamkumar graced the closing function as chief guest and president respectively.
Works and IPR Minister Shri Th. Biswajit, Parliamentary Secretaries Shri L. Susindro, Shri K Robindro, Shri H. Dingo, Kumbi AC MLA Shri S. Bira and social worker Smt. Th. Babita also attended the function as guests of honour.
The five-day festival, which began on June 25, was jointly organised by Development Organisation Andro Kendra (DOAK) and Department of Horticulture and Soil Conservation under the sponsorship of North Eastern Council (NEC).
Speaking at the closing function, the Chief Minister announced that Imphal-Yairipok-Thoubal road would be developed in two lanes in the standard of a National Highway.
Moreover, the Chief Minister also announced that the Government would upgrade of Primary Health Sub Centre (PHSC), Poiroukhongjin to the standard of a Primary Health Centre (PHC).
He opined that people of other parts of the State must draw inspirations from the people of Andro and their MLA Shri Th. Shyamkumar for excelling in three different points.
Besides producing meritorious Government school students and cultivating the sense of hard work and enhancing economy through pineapple production, the people of the AC had also taken an encouraging pledge to conserve forest areas, the Chief Minister.
Shri N. Biren said that it is a matter of pride for the whole State that Andro has now been included in the map of the country which indicates the areas where pineapples are widely cultivated and produced.
The Chief Minister said that the new State Government had translated some of the people’s wishes into reality within 100 days.
Introducing free diagnosis and free dialysis facilities in Government hospitals, providing affordable generic medicines, launching of ambulance service, introduction of labour cards and launching of PMAY-G etc are some of the programmes which were specifically formulated to help the needy people, he added.
The Chief Minister said that including the two ambulances that were launched a few days back at JNIMS, the State would have 44 ambulances to rush common people to nearby hospitals at the time of medical emergency.
Stating that these ambulances would be distributed to all the districts of the State, the Chief Minister informed that a helpline number for these ambulances would also announced soon.
In his speech, Works and IPR Minister Shri Th. Biswajit said that the Government is planning to set up a pineapple processing unit at Andro.
He further said that deliberations are being made by the Government to open similar units in Kachai for lemon and Tamenglong for orange as well.
Speaking at the occasion, Shri Th. Shyamkumar said that the festival was organised with an aim to cultivate the sense of work culture and enhancing the economy.
Cultural items and Miss Pineapple Queen Contest were the main attractions of the closing function, witnessed by a huge crowd. (DIPR/IPK/PRO )