Ukhrul: The All Manipur Tribal Union (AMTU) has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the allocation of ₹217.50 crore under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF), which has been directed solely towards road repair projects in the Imphal valley, excluding the hill regions of Manipur. In a formal representation submitted to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, through the Hill Areas Committee (HAC), AMTU described the allocation as a clear example of the state government’s biased approach to distributing development funds.
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AMTU emphasized in the representation that the hill areas have long been neglected, despite their significant contributions to the state’s geographical and cultural identity. The memorandum urged the Ministry to reassess the current fund distribution and issue a revised office memorandum to ensure balanced development across both valley and hill districts. AMTU also highlighted the unequal distribution of educational and sports facilities, which are heavily concentrated in the valley region, and called for immediate measures to foster inclusive growth in Manipur.
While the Ministry recently announced the approval of 50 National Highway projects in the state, covering over 1,000 kilometers—44 of which are located in hill regions—the CRIF allocation dated October 8, 2024, focused solely on repairing inter-village roads in the valley. In response, Kuki MLA Paolianlal Haokip criticized the state government on X, accusing it of prioritizing development in the valley while neglecting the state roads in hill areas. AMTU warned of growing discontent and urged the Union government to take swift action to address these grievances.
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The Manipur state government has reportedly submitted five multi-crore External Aided Projects (EAP) to the Government of India for approval in the current financial year, all of which are in the approval pipeline. However, none of these projects focus on the state’s hill areas, raising concerns about the exclusion of these regions. Additionally, the state government has submitted four major projects under the PM-DevINE (Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for the North-East Region) scheme, again with no focus on the hill districts. Notably, a proposal for a water supply scheme for Ukhrul District Headquarters, which suffers from constant water scarcity, was reportedly submitted under the PM-DevINE scheme, but it has not been considered for over a year.
The lack of developmental proposals for the hill areas has sparked criticism, particularly amid the ongoing unrest in the state, which has already highlighted the region’s ethnic and developmental divides.
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