Former minister receives Balipara Foundation Lifetime Service Award

From Our Correspondent

KANGPOKPI | Nov 5

The ‘Lifetime Service Award’ by Balipara Foundation was conferred to the former cabinet minister, Haokholet Kipgen on November 3, during the 4th edition of Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics Forum 2017 at Vivanta By Taj, Khanapara, Guwahati.

Haokholet Kipgen is the president of Foundation for Environment and Economic Service (FEEDS) and the award was given to him for embodying the core values of sustainable development through FEEDS. He received the award from the Tibetan President in exile, Lobsang Sangay in the presence of founder trustee of Balipara Foundation, Ranjit Barthakur along with various other leaders of the South East Asian countries.

The forum was attended by more than 1200 participants and around 270 eminent invitees across the world.

While honouring the former minister, Ranjit Barthakur said that FEEDS have adopted many innovative and unique community inclusive projects under the leadership of Haokholet Kipgen. He made the best uses of the natural resources and brought into complementary relationship of the needs of economic development with the living environment, he added.

He also said that FEEDS is of relevance not only to the Himalayan region and India but the world as a whole for its contribution towards development of rural upland agro-forestry, family base tea plantation, commercial flower cultivation, conservation of orchids and extension service.

He further said that FEEDS is the first in India to grow Emu in cold regions and the first to introduce it in northeast.

‘The major focus of the organisation is to impart education and facilitate rural livelihoods, skill training and capacity building for the millennials’, said Ranjit Barthakur.

Speaking to media persons at his Hengbung residence this evening, Haokholet Kipgen conveyed his gratitude to Balipara Foundation and its founder trustee for conferring him the award. He also thanked the Tibetan President in exile for impressive conferment and all the jury of the award.

Kipgen said that it is indeed a proud moment for Manipur to achieve such award among many other South East Asian Countries and across the globe while I feel privilege personally for being conferring such an important award.

He also said that God has given us such a beautiful environment and nature but manmade disaster have annihilated them without much concerning of its importance and necessity which has become a serious concern worldwide. He continued that the menace towards the environment and nature should be immediately redressed from the concerned department as well as the people itself.

He also said that since dry paddy cultivation is a common practice in the hill districts of Manipur as wet paddy cultivation is not that common, the authority concerned and the state government should initiate various measures to improve the cultivation without affecting the environment.

Kipgen also thanked all the staffs of FEEDS for their sincerity and dedication for which the achievement could be made.

It may be mentioned that Balipara Foundation Lifetime Service Award is given to an individual of legendary proportions. A personality, whose life has been devoted to the ecological of the people of the Eastern Himalayas and whose philosophy and purpose has been guided by the need to protect, restore and care for nature.