DONER's daily flight X'Mas gift

Imphal, December 16: Thanks to the efforts of the Department of North East Development all the capital cities of the North Eastern States will be connected by flights daily from December 25, making it perhaps the best Christmas gift for the people of the region in a long, long time. For this DONER had released a sum of Rs 35 crores to purchase four 50 seated aircrafts. The daily flight schedule will be inaugurated by Disinvestment Minister and in charge of North East, Arun Shourie on December 25. Disclosing this to The Sangai Express, NEC Secretary PL Thanga said that Arun Shourie will inaugurate the daily flight service on December 25 by flying from Kolkata to Guwahati, from Guwahati to Imphal and from Imphal to Aizawl. PL Thanga further said that discussions are underway to fix the flight fare for the new service. Alliance Air has been entrusted with the task of servicing the daily flights. The North Eastern Council has also agreed to sanction an additional sum of Rs 140 crores under the 10th Plan to increase the number of the aircraft from the present four. The NEC Secretary further said that of the 76 Telemedicine Centres proposed to be set up in the North East region by the NEC two will be opened at Manipur. The State Government has been asked to name the two places where the two centres should come up, he added. The two centres will have the facility of satellite up linking, said Thanga adding that the latest equipments will be utilized. The Department of Space has already given the green signal for the satellite up linking. To convenience patients, facilities to consult specialists will also be installed at the two centres, said Thanga adding that for this purpose open line system would also be introduced. The consultancy fee will also be free, he added. Most of the districts will also be provided with satellite up linking facilities in the next four years, added PL Thanga. To upgrade the Mao Potato Farm so that the farm may provide seedlings to the other North Eastern States, Thanga further said that a sum of Rs 6.60 crore will be pumped into the farm. Earlier potato seedlings were procured mostly from Shimla, he said and added once the farm is adequately upgraded there will be no need for this. To implement the project, the State Government has been asked to prepare the project report, he continued. PL Thanga further said that to take up work at the Loktak Down Stream Project the NEC will sanction a sum of Rs 60 crore to the State Government to construct a road upto the project site. He further said that though NEC has earmarked a sum of Rs 38 crore to preserve Loktak the State Government is yet to submit the relevant report on this. On roads and bridges, the NEC secretary said that Rs 49 crore has been earmarked for the Mahadev-Tolloi road. He further said that construction of the Tamenglong-Khongsang road and Shangshak-Tengnoupal road will be completed in the current financial year. To open a dental and nursing wing at RIMS, the NEC will sanction a sum of Rs70 crores, further said PL Thanga. He added that a Landslide Zoning Centre will also be set up here to study the landslide prone areas.