IMPHAL, December 19: Of the 28 Indian states categorised in three separate categories, there is no possibility in the present context of Manipur being placed amongst the developed states category, said Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh today while replying to a motion on ‘Discussion on the need to persuade the government of India for inclusion of Manipur in the category of Least Developed States’ raised by Opposition leader Dr I Ibohalbi Singh.
Elaborating further in his reply, the CM said that the government has already heard the news of the recommendation report of Dr Raghuram G Ranjan Committee which has categorised the states of the country into three groups.
Soon after receiving the news, letters were sent to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Union Finance minister and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission stating the report to be unacceptable.
Later, he had visited the national capital and met with the leaders personally on the issue, he continued.
He continued the committee had made its recommendations based on ten composite index.
In the composite index of last year, Manipur stood at the second least in the Infant Mortality Rate, however, this does notmean that the state is develop in all other sectors, the CM expressed.
Now, Manipur has the same Infant Mortality Rate as Goa, he observed.
In the Education sector, Manipur comes below Tripura and Mizoram in Literacy Rate, like-wise in road connectivity, the state is the least developed among the Indian states- the state is still unable to upgrade the roads including the National Highways into ‘All Weather roads’, the Chief Minister continued.
And as such, the concerned leaders at the national capital have already informed that the Dr Raghuram G Ranjan committee recommendation as erroneous, he said.
He further said that it can never be accepted that Manipur is more develop in Rajasthan as stated by the report.
The state is yet to have waterways and railways, he further observed.
He further continued that central leaders have already informed him that the centre will not immediately act on the recommendations, but the report will be deliberated upon by the Union cabinet first.
The Chief Minister also expressed that if his appeal to the central leaders in this regard is not heard, and the need for an ‘All-political party delegation’ arises, then the needful should be done.