Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Thursday instructed officials to constitute a committee to develop an effective strategy to check rampant expansion of human habitation and encroachment on reserved forest areas.
Manipur CM N Biren on Thursday evening chaired a review meeting of the Forest, Environment Department, Labour and Employment Department besides Loktak Development Authority (LDA) at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Imphal.
According to official sources, Chief Secretary Dr Suresh Babu, Additional Chief Secretary (Forest & Environment/Labour & Employment) Dr. Suhel Akhtar, Principal Secretary (Finance) Rakesh Ranjan and other high-ranking officials were also present at the review meeting.
Expressing happiness that awareness among people of hill districts about environment protection and ecological balance has increased in the past few years, the Manipur CM said that call for protection of migratory birds like Amur Falcon in Tamenglong district was well responded by the local people and it was a good sign.
He also instructed the officials concerned to speed up works regarding expansion of Manipur Zoological Garden.
As zoos play an important role in attraction of tourists and visitors to the State, the present complex of the Manipur Zoological Garden should be upgraded expanded with the acquisition of the required land, he added.
The heads of the concerned departments also made separate presentations during the review meeting.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests K Angami and Directorate of Environment Director Dr Y Nabachandra, LDA Project Director L. Bhagaton, Deputy Labour Commissioner K. Bono also made power-point presentation about the activities of the Labour Department. Earlier the Manipur CM chaired similar review meetings of various other departments of the State.