IT News
Imphal, April 07:
With the aim to promote e-mobility, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh distributed e-autos and e-rickshaws to 65 beneficiaries including nine women at a formal function held today at Kangla. The Distribution function was organized by the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Manipur.
Raising concern on the water scarcity faced due to large scale deforestation, N. Biren Singh appealed to the people to be responsible and contribute in preserving the nature. He stressed on the need to replace all the diesel autos operating in the State with e-autos providing grants and loans from the Government so that air and noise pollution level could be mitigated at a certain level.
The Chief Minister was moved by the presence of women among the beneficiaries who were distributed e-auto/ rickshaw. He expressed that he felt glad with the courage shown by the women beneficiaries to come up with such occupation on one hand and also felt sad about the circumstances that compelled them to take up such occupation on the other hand.
N. Biren informed that the Government had been providing scholarships for coaching to civil service aspirants of the State to provide the much-needed support to those deserving and meritorious students. He further stated that the Government had consulted with reputed civil service coaching institutes operating outside the state to open its centre in the State. The Government is in process to come up with a proper plan to start the coaching class from June this year to provide adequate grooming to deserving aspirants. Aspirants need not go outside the State, to take coaching classes spending huge amount of money, once the coaching classes start, he added.
He stated that the State had many talented youth with certain innovative ideas and so the Government had also extended assistance and encouragement to hardworking young entrepreneurs through its Manipur Start up Scheme. Under the Scheme, interviews for selection of innovative entrepreneurs for providing loans are in process and will be over within a month. A provision for providing such loans had been put in the budget, he added.
Speaking on the increase of COVID-19 positive cases at an alarming rate in other states, the Chief Minister stated that the Government had taken up certain measures to contain the spread of the pandemic giving utmost priority to saving peoples’ lives. He expressed gratefulness for the support and co-operation shown by the people to the Government in taking up such measures. He also added the Government is committed to bring overall development in the State so that the future generation could live a better and peaceful life.
Forest and Environment Minister Awangbow Newmai, Education Minister Sorokhaibam Rajen, Chief Secretary Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary M.H. Khan, Managing Director, Manipur State Co-operative Bank A. Subhash, Director, Environment and Climate Change Y. Nabachandra and officials of the Department attended the programme among others.
It may be mentioned that an amount of Rs 1,40,000 each is provided to the beneficiaries as grant by the Government for the purchase of the e-auto/rickshaw and the remaining amount is provided through loan by Manipur State Co-operative Bank. The steps to provide such benefit is taken up under Manipur State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC), with an objective to address the existing as well as future challenges of climate change and taking action to reduce the associated risks and vulnerabilities.
