Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh Tuesday said steps are being taken to implement Manipur Tourism Policy for promotion and development of tourism in the state. The chief minister was replying to a question raised by an opposition MLA, on the fourth day of the ongoing 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly. In the ongoing budget session, which began last week, the House passed Rs 23,900 and Rs 451, 000 supplementary grants for the fiscal year 2018-19 and it has passed 15 demands for grants so far. On Tuesday, the chief minister informed the House that a total of Rs 4171.14 lakh has been allocated in the Revised Estimate of 2018-19, of which Rs. 3703.14 lakh has been earmarked for development of tourism infrastructure, organising state festivals and promotion of tourism in the state. He further said promotion and publicity in metro cities to educate potential visitors about Manipur’s tourist destinations are underway. To encourage visitors, he said, various steps towards improving connectivity are also being taken up. Helicopter service which was introduced recently, the government has been mooting on increasing the flight frequency, Singh informed. Moreover, road connectivity has also considerably improved by connecting the interior tourist spots and destinations in the state, he added. The chief minister also informed that infrastructure development projects funded by the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of DoNER and NEC is under process as well. Noting the increasing number of domestic and international tourists in the state during the past few years, Singh said that in order to increase awareness of tourist destinations and to develop infrastructures, works are in progress under Swadesh Darshan and North East Tourist Circuit. Singh said that the state government is committed to conserving the natural beauty of Loktak Lake and added that Loktak Heritage Park will be developed to facilitate visitors to experience the natural and scenic beauty of the lake, the largest freshwater in the North East. To raise awareness on the importance of Shirui Lily, Government is planning to upgrade Sirui Lily Festival to national and international level if possible in the future, said Singh.
