A heritage park having traditional houses of all the 33 recognised tribes of Manipur would be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 39 Cr at Keibul Lamjao in Bishnupur district soon.
This was disclosed by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh while speaking at the Annual Get Together and Freshers’ Day, 2018 of Mao Youth and Students’ Organisation, Imphal at the auditorium of Tribal Research Institute in Imphal on Saturday.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that the Union Tourism Ministry had approved the heritage park project and the state government had set a target to complete the project before next year’s Manipur Sangai Festival.
He said that Cherry Blossom Festival at Mao would be held as part of Manipur Sangai Festival, a ten-day annual tourism festival held in the last week of November from this year onwards.
The first Manipur Cherry Blossom Festival was held at the Kayinu village at Mao Gate, 110 km north of Imphal in Manipur’s Senapati district bordering Nagaland on November 26 last year.
Stating that Mao is one of the most advanced communities of the state, the chief minister said that Mao community’s contribution in terms of economic and social development in the state is immense. He was happy to learn that the number of Mao students coming to Imphal for education and higher studies is increasing now.
Regarding Mao people’s desire to have an exclusive market for them in Imphal, the chief minister informed that he would definitely keep his promise made to Mao womenfolk.
Informing that women market shed being constructed at Senapati district headquarters would be inaugurated next month, he also admitted that the state had also decided to set up IIIT at Mayangkhang.
Mayangkhang is a small hill town located about 50 km north of Imphal in Senapati district.
Public Health Engineering Minister L Dikho and Tribal Affairs and Hills Minister N Kayisii also spoke on the occasion wherein different cultural troupes presented colourful traditional dances and songs.