Already 30 days into 2023 Address the basic needs
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Already 30 days into 2023 and what are the priorities that the Government has worked out for the next 365 days ? A question which all concerned citizens of the land should be raising now. One obviously is to see how to give more teeth to the War on Drugs campaign underway. Go after the kingpin is the line that many would maintain and in as much as it would not have not gone down well with the BJP led Government, the Congress has a point in asserting that the war should be more like, ‘War on Druglords.’ This is a point which needs a serious and sincere deliberation. Time also to drive home the seriousness of the issue to the law enforcing agencies, particularly the Assam Rifles authority which has been routinely coming out with media statements on drugs being seized on the Imphal-Moreh route. Good job, one would say, but it would feel so much right and better if some degree of seriousness is shown, particularly when they go to press to announce the seizure. As professionals engaged in the work of disseminating information to the public, at times it gets a bit exasperating to note that many of the statements issued to the press on drug seizures are at best half baked. On January 28 and January 29, the Assam Rifles did report seizure of drugs on the Imphal-Moreh route, but on both days, some key information such as the identity of the drug smugglers was not mentioned. If this is done so with the purpose of letting further investigation flow more smoothly, it can be understood, but there should be no harm in stating why the identity of the persons from whom the drugs were seized has not been spelt out. A half baked approach is certainly not warranted at this juncture. The Government should also now focus on how to make up for the deficit on the education sector seriously. It is now a little over five years since the BJP came to power at Imphal and students should ideally not be seen on the streets protesting over such things as lack of infrastructure and teachers and demands such as the one raised by students of DM University not so long back to make their institution live up to the billing of a full fledged university. As for water supply, the question what has happened to the running/piped water in every household promise made in the election manifesto of 2017 still stands.
Another is obviously power supply and it would not do the image of the Government any good when people are reminded of the load shedding schedule that was on every alternate day not so long back. Everyone knows it will take time to address the points that have been raised just now and one hopes the Government is working on it on a war footing. These are the basic issues staring the Government in the face and four years hence, one hopes it is in a position to give a satisfactory answer to the people when posed with questions on the issues listed above. The Government will also need to address the growing traffic congestion in the towns of Manipur, particularly at Imphal. To come anywhere near satisfactorily addressing this, it will need to think out of the box. Proposed Imphal Ring Road, the new schedule for schools and Government offices are steps which have been taken up, but it stands that the Government will need to approach the issue with a mindset, a fresh approach. The number of vehicles will only keep on increasing, with banks and other financial institutions more than ready to extend car loans to the people, and this is where the Government will need to consult experts on town planning. As noted earlier think of ways to shift schools, Government offices and even banks located in the heart of the commercial areas of Imphal. Expand the capital city horizontally and set up zones, such as places where only shops selling electrical items may come up etc. When Manipur goes to polls in 2027, it would be a tragedy to address the same points again. Things should improve.
Another is obviously power supply and it would not do the image of the Government any good when people are reminded of the load shedding schedule that was on every alternate day not so long back. Everyone knows it will take time to address the points that have been raised just now and one hopes the Government is working on it on a war footing. These are the basic issues staring the Government in the face and four years hence, one hopes it is in a position to give a satisfactory answer to the people when posed with questions on the issues listed above. The Government will also need to address the growing traffic congestion in the towns of Manipur, particularly at Imphal. To come anywhere near satisfactorily addressing this, it will need to think out of the box. Proposed Imphal Ring Road, the new schedule for schools and Government offices are steps which have been taken up, but it stands that the Government will need to approach the issue with a mindset, a fresh approach. The number of vehicles will only keep on increasing, with banks and other financial institutions more than ready to extend car loans to the people, and this is where the Government will need to consult experts on town planning. As noted earlier think of ways to shift schools, Government offices and even banks located in the heart of the commercial areas of Imphal. Expand the capital city horizontally and set up zones, such as places where only shops selling electrical items may come up etc. When Manipur goes to polls in 2027, it would be a tragedy to address the same points again. Things should improve.