Manipur youths need to gain expertise in IT sector: Biren

Imphal: Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh stressed the need for the state’s youths to gain expertise in the field of IT sector so that they could cope up with the drastic advancement in the sector.

Biren was addressing the gathering at the inaugural session of the Capacity Building Conference on 5G held at Hotel Classic Grande, Imphal on Thursday.

Youths of the state seem to be reluctant towards the IT sector, adding that no local student could be found getting admitted at the Indian Institute of Information Technology opened in the state, the chief minister said. He appealed to the parents and guardians to consider the importance of their wards getting knowledge of Information Technology, mentioning that the time is for the IT sector.

Telecom infrastructure for better governance has been an integral part of the state government’s inclusive development strategy. The state government had been extending full support and co-operation for creation of Digital Infrastructures in Manipur. Initiatives, like Bharat Net, are being implemented in the state to transform the rural masses by providing affordable and equitable access to the internet, he added.

He informed that 360 villages of the state had been included under 4G Saturation project to provide 4G mobile services to uncovered villages in remote and difficult areas. Proposal is under preparation for inclusion of additional 833 uncovered villages, he said. He continued that the IT department in association with CSC- Special Purpose Vehicle had been monitoring the performance of 1000+ active CSCs in the state. Based on their performance, an incentive programme had been implemented to encourage CSCs to provide services in remote areas, he said.

Manipur is taking up various initiatives for successful Roll Out of 5G services. A Working Committee on 5G had been formed and an Amendment to Manipur Right of Way Policy 2019 to incorporate 5G policies had also been processed, he added.

He expressed that building a robust and resilient connectivity infrastructure in the state is critical, given the state’s strategic location which connects India to one of the most economically dynamic and politically significant geographies of the world.

The chief minister was hopeful that deliberations and discussions in the conference would help gear the state towards a smooth and quick rollout of 5G.

Chief secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar that the government of Manipur would make efforts to make Imphal one of the fastest 5G rollout cities. The intent is to use 5G service for high end activities like tele-medicine and tele-education among others. It is time to ensure that all blocks and sub-divisions have 5G services by December 2023, he added.

The inaugural session of the conference was also attended by DG (DoT) Ashutosh Sharma, DG (DIPA) Tilak Raj Dua, additional chief secretary V. Vumlunmang, special secretary (IT) B. John Tlangtinkhuma and senior officials of the central and state government among others.