Manipur, Mizoram governments to honour Everesters

The governments of Manipur and Mizoram will felicitate the members of the first Northeast India Top of the World Mount Everest Expedition, 2013, who recently scaled the highest peak of the world, officials said Thursday.

"The Manipur government announced to give Rs.10 lakh each to the team leaders and members of the expedition for scaling the highest peak of the world," a Manipur government official told reporters in Imphal.

According to the official, the decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Manipur Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla has also announced that Rs.5 lakh would be given to expedition team member David Zohmangaiha. "Another person from Mizoram, Vanllaliana, who is from the state's sports and youth services department and served as the base camp manager, would be given Rs.3 lakh," a Mizoram government official said.

Both Zohmangaiha and Vanllaliana would be given a grand reception by the Mizoram government after their arrival in the state, the official added.

The team, comprising 13 climbers from the country's northeast region, was flagged off by President Pranab Mukherjee from Rashtrapati Bhavan March 20. Members of the expedition made it to the Everest top on May 18.

The expedition included Manipur's Nameirakpam Chingkheinganba, a Class 11 student who is stated to be the youngest Indian to scale Mount Everest, Arunachal Pradesh's Anshu Jamsenpa, Assam's Tarun Saikia, Meghalaya's Wangsuk Myrthong and Sikkim's Kazi Sherpa.

The expedition was organised under the aegis of Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association with financial support from the North Eastern Council, a regional planning body under the union ministry of development of north eastern region (DONER) and Manipur government.