Manipur CM writes to Centre, seeks Imphal-Guwahati route under RCS scheme

Imphal, Feb 16 (PTI) Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Monday wrote to Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, urging him to include the Imphal-Guwahati route under the regional connectivity scheme to mitigate transport difficulties of the state's people.

He said air connectivity for the people of Manipur is "not just a convenience but an essential requirement".

In a letter to the central minister, Singh said, "I am reaching out to highlight the issues currently impacting the flight connectivity of the state. The airfare for routes linking Manipur, particularly on the Imphal-Guwahati-Imphal route, remains significantly higher compared to similar routes in other NE states with comparable travel distances." Alternative transport options in Manipur are limited mainly due to frequent disruptions in road connectivity and the current non-operational railway services, he said.

The state government has "significantly lowered the value-added tax (VAT) on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) from 20 per cent to 1 per cent to enhance air connectivity and tourism, Singh added.

The CM continued that he would be grateful for kind personal intervention "for inclusion of the Imphal-Guwahati-Imphal route under the RCS-UDAN Scheme to further mitigate the transportation difficulties encountered by the people of Manipur and to enhance the advancement of the region’s socio-economic development".

The UDAN scheme was conceptualised under the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016, with a 10-year vision, to connect tier-2 and tier-3 cities through a market-driven yet financially supported model. PTI CORR BDC