Manipur govt needs to take steps to put the state in better

Manipur government needs to take steps like harnessing solar and wind power, strengthen human resource and keep transparency of accounting system to put the state in a better economic trajectory, Chairman of 15th Finance Commission N K Singh Friday said.

The north eastern state is getting close to reasonably high rate of economic growth, he told a press conference here.

Singh said solar and wind power can be gainfully utilized by Manipur.

Human resource may be strengthened by better education quality, establishing more medical, nurses training and paramedic institutions for which there is demand across the world. If this was done the youth of Manipur need not travel long distances for getting educational opportunities, he said.

He called for making the accounting system more transparent and aligning the fiscal deficit management trajectory within a time frame.

Singh said if the steps were taken Manipur would see double digit growth and become the best among the special category states of the country by improving its per capita income and decreasing the poverty index in the coming years.

This was important in view of Manipur's critical location for promoting the Act East Policy and the overall profile of the state, he said.

The Finance Commission team, which arrived here Thursday, was led by Singh met and interacted with Chief Minister N Biren Singh, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Y Joykumar Singh among others, officials said.

The Manipur government submitted 25 projects for specific funding, they added.