Imphal Apr 6 UNA : Concluding their five-day goodwill mission to Manipur, the 12-member Myanmar delegation led by MP U Khin Muang Shwe left Imphal for Tamu (Myanmar) Saturday afternoon.
Other members of the delegations include U kyaw Win, Power Minister Sagaing Region, U Htan Lian Nar, member of Sagaing Region Parliament, U Khin Maung Zaw, Township administrator, General Administration department Tamu Sagaing Region, U Tin Maung Win, Director of Electric Power Division, U Myo Nyunt, District Manager of Electricity, Tamu District and U Hla Maung President of Border Trade Chamber of Commerce, Union of Myanmar
During camping in Imphal, they visited Loktak Project Hydro-electricity Project besides holding meetings chief minister and deputy chief minister and discussed on extending healthcare service and providing electricity from Manipur to the neighbouring country.
During the meeting with chief minister, he assured electricity to Myanmar, but has urged the visiting Myanmar delegation to supply coal required for running thermal power plant in the state even as the visiting delegation pressed for opening a Myanmar Consulate General office in Manipur.
On the second day of the visit, the 12-member delegation, in a meeting with chief minister O Ibobi Singh, proposed for supply of power to the Myanmar villages at the international borderline with Manipur.
Despite having no adequate power to meet the demand in the state, chief minister gave assurance to the delegation that Manipur could provide power to the neighbouring country if the fuel required for running thermal power is supply to the state.
While proposing for the power supply, the Myanmar delegation further sought investment in setting up thermal power plant in the country. In reply to it, chief minister O Ibobi Singh expressed his willingness to set up a thermal power plant in Manipur’s Moreh town which the fuel required for running the plant to be imported from Myanmar where coal is mined in plenty.
In the meeting the chief minister assured for providing power at least 2/3 megawatt, specifically for Tamu Township in response to the request of the delegation. O Ibobi assured power by saying that his government would press the Centre for speeding up in giving clearance to supply electricity to the neighbouring country.
With regard to setting up a thermal power plant at Moreh, the CM was said to have explained inevitability of the border town needing a viable power generation facility in view of Moreh’s strategic location as a major centre for international trade in the near future.
Ibobi further pointed out that setting up the power plant at Moreh would be more feasible for electricity supply to Tamu town, said the source adding that inspite of the chief minister’s assurance the Myanmar delegation strongly suggested that the said power plant be set-up somewhere in Myanmar.
In connection with the proposed setting up of the power plant and assess quality of the power generating source (coal), an official team of Manipur would visit Myanmar in April last week.
The Myanmar team also emphasised on developing the Manipur-Myanmar connecting road into an all-weather road.
In another meeting with state commerce and industries minister Govindas Konthoujam, the delegation led by U Kyaw proposed for opening a ‘visa on arrival’ office at Myanmar to ease existing travel restrictions as Manipur had already initiated relevant procedures to set up similar facility in the state.
In response, U Kyaw conveyed that the Myanmar Government is considering opening a Myanmar Consulate General office in Manipur at the earliest.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/myanmar-delegations-goodwill-mission-in-manipur-concludes/
