IMPHAL: Manipur government spokesperson and Heirok MLA Th Radheshyam on Tuesday defended the state government over the delay in construction of the permanent campus of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Manipur, stating that the original site allotted at Lamphel was found technically unfeasible and that the government is now identifying a suitable alternative site.
Addressing a press briefing at his official quarter in Imphal, Radheshyam said the NIT permanent campus project was initiated in 2012 after the Centre sanctioned NITs, including Manipur, and an MoU was signed between the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and NIT Manipur for construction of the permanent campus.
He said around 300 acres of land had been allotted by the then Manipur government at Lamphel for the project. However, the site was a marshy wetland and subsequent soil testing by experts found it unsuitable for construction.
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According to Radheshyam, the original project cost was around Rs 300 crore, but constructing the campus at the Lamphel site would require extensive piling and other additional works, pushing the estimated cost to nearly Rs 1,000 crore.
“Unless the land is changed, the Government of India will not be able to finance or invest money in the project,” he said, explaining the Centre’s position.
Radheshyam criticised the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) for allegedly portraying chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh as indifferent towards education and the NIT project. He said education and health are among the priority sectors of the present government and claimed that the government has been regularly taking up the issue with the Centre and NIT authorities.
He said the present government was not a party to the original MoU and therefore could not be held responsible for the selection of the Lamphel site.
“The present government was never part of the agreement or the MoU signed,” Radheshyam said, adding that the government was informed that the existing site could not be funded unless the location was changed.
He said the NIT authorities had approached the chief minister regarding the permanent campus and the chief minister had assured them that a suitable site would be identified and allotted at the earliest.
Radheshyam said the government is currently identifying a suitable location for the permanent campus and is processing the allotment of land. He added that the chief minister had also reiterated his commitment to providing permanent land for NIT Manipur during the institute’s convocation ceremony.
At present, NIT Manipur is functioning from temporary facilities, with the state government providing facilities including the Polytechnic at Takyelpat and a DIET centre at Salam.
Responding to a question on why a hospital could reportedly undertake construction at the same location while NIT could not, Radheshyam said a government project has to be implemented within its sanctioned budget, unlike a private project which may have greater flexibility in spending.
He also rejected criticism that the government had nine or ten years to resolve the issue, pointing to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic during the first term of the BJP-led government and the ongoing Manipur crisis during the second term.
Radheshyam said the government had continued communicating with the NIT and the Centre despite these challenges.
During the interaction, questions were also raised on the demand for implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census and reports of a possible India-Myanmar land exchange that could affect Manipur. Radheshyam declined to comment in detail, saying the press briefing was specifically convened on the NIT issue and that the government would elaborate on the matters at a future press conference.
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On the ongoing economic blockade and reports of shortages and a sharp rise in prices of essential commodities, Radheshyam said the government was making efforts to find solutions to the problems affecting the state.
He pointed to the chief minister’s recent visits to different parts of the state and said the government was seeking cooperation and support from all sections of society.
“Every problem has to have a solution,” he said, while urging people not to complicate existing problems and calling for cooperation to bridge the gaps created by the crisis.
