Emerging Manipur peace, prosperity @ growth

SK Singh *

Inauguration and foundation stones for 21 development projects at Churachandpur on January 6th 2023 :: Pix - Chronicle News Service / DIPR

January 6 (2023) Friday local news carried a news item widely circulated through almost all local papers heralding the 'Inauguration and Foundation-Stone Laying' of 21 development projects, 12 inaugurated and for 9 foundation stone laid across the state. The occasion was the visit of the Union HM Amit Shah to the state on Jan 6, 2023. Earmarking of a massive outlay of Rs 1311 crore was also profusely highlighted.

An impressive function indeed with inauguration of as many as 12 projects like Manipur Olympic Park or Churachandpur Medical College and quite a few others. In the same vein, implementing 9 new projects like, Construction of Jiribam Tipaimukh road, Integrated Managemant of Three Water Bodies/Wet Land and quite a few others are remarkable. These for sure are impressive looking at the variety of schemes coupled with the scale of funds earmarked and are epoch-making intervention of the Centre.

The day should be reckoned as a golden day considering the galaxy of projects already said to be completed with few more being taken up. The state would surely have a new Avatar, like never before, emerging with 'Peace, Progress and Growth', as claimed by the government. It is a journey with full vigor given the list of projects already completed implying tremendous impact on the lives of the common man. And this is what the government of the people, for the people is meant for.

Before we conclude/jump to an assumed or anticipated, 'Emerging Manipur, Prosperous and Peaceful', consequent upon the promises laid out so meticulously with assurances of massive investment, we might as well take stock of the past such Interventions or Ventures or Additive Plans if any, and how they fared, flourished or took the state to new heights over time. Development efforts are a continuing process and more and more of such program would be thought of largely for two reasons.

For one, the people, the villages including those far off from the main stream should get their share of prosperity, progress and peace. For the other and more significant, the ruling political party, in this instant case, the NDA government, the BJP should act to attract the 'shabash' of the people, the voters. And in this process, the BJP government here in the state as well as the Centre should show off profusely.

One such, can I term it, 'Tall Talk', could be the so-called, high profile document of the GOI famously named, 'Transforming the NER' churned out by the Planning Commission in 1997, in the backdrop of announcing what they termed, "New Initiatives for the North Eastern Region".

This document charted ways and means for, according to the GOI, 'Tackling Backlogs in Basic Minimum Services and Infrastructural Needs'. The issue was basically identification of the poor level of development in almost all sectors in the NE over the decades and how these gaps generated over the decades could be narrowed, if not eradicated.

Four areas were identified for critical appraisal and remedial measures. They were, i) Critically examine the backlog in respect of basic minimum services, ii) Critically examine the gaps in important sectors, iii) Suggest policies programmes and requirement of funds to bridge the gaps, and iv) Consider any other issue for achieving the above objectives.

That was in 1997 and today after quarter of a century, the NER nearly stands near about the level then accessible. Sadly, it will be hard to assert if really any TRANSFORMATION of the NER, say, in terms of education or health or basic infrastructures identified by the very High Power Committee then in 1970, had been achieved.

Another Endeavour of the GOI can be recalled in yet another venture. A 'Vision Document- NER Vision 2020' was prepared, a 15-year Perspective for the development of the NER to catch up with the mainland in terms of development and prosperity by 2020. We are now in 2023 , well past 2020 when the NE region should start enjoying the fruit of all those promissory 'glorious days ahead'.

The Vision-2020 when it was made public the broad objective was that the Region would be able to catch up with the mainland in all areas of development, be they physical infrastructure, or social sector development or in the areas of secondary and tertiary sectors.

The architects of this Document, were cautious however when they postulated that the NE Region catching up with the mainland for which massive investments are projected. They reiterated that such a huge investment as proposed in the vision document would be fruitful depending on some principal prerequisites.

They talked about the imperative need for an atmosphere of 'peace, ideal law-order situation' where the programmes could be taken up without any hindrance. They thus proposed sectoral investments in key areas like, Agriculture or Irrigation three or four times the normal range as was allotted over the years.

The concern was the competence of the existing work-force manning these government departments to absorb such exorbitantly high outlays. The manpower unless proportionately strengthened, the capacity to execute the hugely enhanced programmes would not be able to deliver. And strengthening manpower or the capability of a government department has its own limitations. There should be expansion of course but commensurate with the surrounding to match the inter-sectoral as also the intra-sectoral proportions.

Any imbalance would tilt the balance and the intended benefits would not forth come. Such situations would hold true for all the key sectors of development where massive investments are made with the sole aim of catching up with the national average. These are of course issues for the planners to talk about but the fact remains that the 'VISION 2020' too has lost its charm now that the vision has outlived the promises.

The recent call of the CM extending New Year's greetings when he understandably ably listed series of achievements in the past one year is laudable. His reference about 'The Most Improved Small States' overall and that too 3 years consecutively in Economy, Infrastructure and Governance was timely. His long list of performances are indeed laudable though they were mostly individual bits of schemes or projects.

The growth of the state in terms of GDP or SI and a brief analysis of those contributing factors deserve deliberation that these could not be in the narration of the CM.