IMPHAL, November 9: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh praised Dr Thangjam Dhabali for his feat of creating world class enterprises in the fields of healthcare and hospitality.
Ibobi was speaking on the inauguration of the Hotel Classic Grande at East Chingmeirong which coincides with the of 40th anniversary of founding of Babina Clinic.
Dr. Dhabali’s entreperneurial spirit has today created more than 750 direct jobs and another 250 or so indirect ones, according to a fact sheet presented to the audience of the function today at the Hotel Classic Grande’ conference hall.
The Classic Hosipitality undertakings and Babina healthcare enterprises, today accounts for nearly Rs. 2 crore taxes, including Rs. 55 lakh income tax paid to the government annually, the same fact sheet said.
Ibobi praised these stupendous efforts and said everybody in the state need to encourage such entrepreneurship, saying only a rise in entrepreneurship can solve the state’s unemployment problem, besides augmenting the state’s GDP.
He said he laments that Manipur is still caught in the bandh-blockade culture, which is standing in the way of the rise of entrepreneurship in the state, observing that during the nearly three months of bandhs and strikes called by the JCILPS, the Classic Hotel was on the verge fo closedown because of a drastic drop in tourists and other visitors to the state and therefore hotel occupancy.
He said the state has to correct its ways.
He also praised Dr. Dhabali for the contribution he is making to the government by generating tax revenue observing that in advanced countries, Government keeps strict vigil to tax liabilities of private enterprises, but clears all hurdles before them. Dr Dhabali is showing the way for everybody in this regard too, he further said.
Endorsing Dr. Dhabali’s proposal, the Chief Minister also said Hotel Imphal is likely to be upgraded to 5-Star status in the coming years. this will be under the Public-Private Partnership model the mode of which is still to be discussed and sorted out.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister, Gaikhangam, who the guest of honour heaped rich praises on Dr. Dhabali and joked that though he has never ever visited a foreign country, he was getting a sense of what it is like from every visit to The Classic Hotel as well as the Babina Clinic. He further joked that as a state leader and politician he was wary of invitation to functions, but this was one he was truly excited about.
In his address, the Chairman & MD of Babina Groups of Companies Dr Th Dhabali Singh MD FAIMS said that his venture started way back November 9, 1983 as a small diagnostic setup at Roop Mahal Tank.
He continued that in the year 1995 he was able to enact full fledged diagnostic centre at RIMS road.
He said that with determination and support from his colleagues he could achieve what he has now.
He revealed that he is the second biggest service tax payer in the state after BSNL, having more than 750 employees under his line of companies in the state and beyond.