Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has assured Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh of all possible support from the Centre for the development of national and state highways in the state, officials said on Wednesday.
An official of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) in Imphal said that the Chief Minister, accompanied by the two Deputy Chief Ministers -- Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho -- met Gadkari at his office in New Delhi on Tuesday night. During the meeting, the Chief Minister briefed the Union Minister on the status of various ongoing and proposed road infrastructure projects in Manipur.
Singh also urged the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister to give special attention to the state's proposals for elevated highways and the strengthening of National Highways to improve connectivity and logistics. Gadkari assured the Manipur delegation of full cooperation from his Ministry and said that the proposals submitted by the state government would be considered positively, the CMO official added.
Meanwhile, taking to social media platform X, the Union Minister said: "Newly elected Chief Minister of Manipur, Shri Y. Khemchand Singh Ji, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Shri Losii Dikho Ji and Smt. Nemcha Kipgen Ji, called on me in New Delhi today."
"We reviewed the progress of ongoing National Highway projects across the state and assessed key stretches to ensure their timely completion, enhanced connectivity, and accelerated infrastructure development in Manipur," he said "My best wishes to the new government for a successful tenure dedicated to peace, inclusive growth, and lasting prosperity for the people of the state," Gadkari said.
Chief Minister Khemchand Singh has been in New Delhi since February 21, marking his first visit to the national capital after taking oath as Manipur’s Chief Minister on February 4. During his visit, the Chief Minister met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union Ministers and senior BJP central leaders and held discussions on a range of issues related to the state’s development and public welfare.
On Tuesday, Singh met the Prime Minister at his office at Seva Teerth and briefed the Prime Minister on initiatives taken by the new state government to restore peace and harmony in Manipur, officials said. On Monday night, the Chief Minister, accompanied by the two Deputy Chief Ministers, met Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who approved the construction of 5,000 new houses for the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by ethnic violence in Manipur.
These houses will be constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, officials said. Earlier on Monday, the Chief Minister also met Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia, who assured that his Ministry would coordinate with other Union Ministries to address key issues concerning Manipur.
Chief Minister Khemchand Singh also met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who assured all possible assistance to revive the state's financial health and economy. He also held discussions with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who assured full cooperation and support from his Ministry for all initiatives of the Manipur government.
Earlier, on February 22, Khemchand Singh, along with the two Deputy Chief Ministers, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss a range of issues, including the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons. According to the CMO official, the Union Home Minister also discussed with the Manipur leadership the steps initiated by the new state government to remove barriers between communities and restore peace and harmony across the state.