Manipur Government in collaboration with the Fourth Dimension Global hosted the first ever Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conclave of Northeast here at  Manipur’s City Convention Centre on Friday.

Addressing the conclave, N. Biren Singh invited the corporate houses of the country and abroad to come to Manipur and partner with the State in different ventures. Stating that the law and order condition of the State has improved tremendously in the past few years, the Chief Minister welcomed the corporate world to invest in Manipur. He assured that their capital would remain safe and productive.

The chief minister stated that there are certain areas where government developmental schemes had not penetrated adequately. With limited financial resources, the State Government can reach its goals in these sectors only with supplementary funding through CSR route, he observed.

Chief Minister informed that the Airports Authority of India has committed to provide CSR funds of Rs. 4.95 for procuring equipment for new Accident and Trauma Centre at JNIMS. Likewise, IOCL is funding for construction of community bathrooms, he added.

The Chief Minister further said that there is unlimited potential for private investment in different sectors in the State and all these sectors also present areas of investment for CSR funds. The Government of Manipur had identified social sector including education, skilling, healthcare, social development and human development as top priority areas for CSR funding,  N. Biren informed. He further said that schools, colleges, Anganwadi centres, old age homes, shelter homes, skilling centres are offering scope for CSR investment which would definitely have a greater positive impact on social development.

Stating that Manipur is the land gateway of India to South-East Asia, the Chief Minister said that the synergies created by the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway project would transform the State. The North East region, endowed with rich natural and cultural diversity, is now seen as the new engines of growth for India, he said. Stating that connectivity between Manipur and other States and neighboring Myanmar had improved in the recent past, N. Biren also said that Manipur has huge potential for cultural tourism as well.

He also mentioned about State’s rich resources of medicinal plants, horticultural products, aromatic plants and spices and great potentials in medical tourism, organic farming and floriculture. He also said that Manipur is flourishing in handloom, reeds (kauna) and bamboo crafts and pottery. The Chief Minister also informed that a ‘Single Window Agency’ has been set up to provide one stop solution to investors and land is available on lease basis at State’s Industrial Estates.

Technical sessions comprising Business-to-Government (B2G) meetings, discussion for CSR partnership between Government Departments and corporate bodies and presentations from Government Departments and corporate houses were the main highlights of the conclave taken part by representatives from various corporate houses and NGOs of the country and abroad. Ten stalls of different Government Departments and SHGs of the State were also opened at the conclave.

Chief Secretary Dr. J. Suresh Babu, Additional Chief Secretaries Dr. Suhel Akhtar and  M.H. Khan, Principal Secretary (Commerce and Industry)  P. Vaiphei, CSR expert and Department of Public Enterprise, Government of India former Secretary Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee and Managing Director of IRG Systems South Asia Pvt. Ltd.  Amit Jain also attended the function as dignitaries.