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Mizzima: Rs. 95 lakhs sanctioned fo



Rs. 95 lakhs sanctioned for Moreh Town development

Imphal, April 15, 2000
Mizzima News Group

The central government in New Delhi has sanctioned Rupees 95 lakhs (US $
2.2 lakhs) for the development of Moreh to become a major trading centre
in the Indo-Burma border trade. Mr. Bwi Jamani, an official from the
Commerce and Industry Ministry of the Manipur Government, said that
Moreh is currently lacking necessary infrastructure while its
counterpart Tamu town in Burma is fully equipped for the border trade.
"Ministry of Commerce of the central government has recently sanctioned
Rs. 95 lakhs for the development of Moreh town", said Mr. Bwi Jamani in
a telephone interview.

Moreh, the last border town of Manipur State, was once the centre of
thriving border business as even the contraband goods including
high-quality heroin were illegally brought across the border from Burma.
People used to flock to the town for foreign-made goods. However, things
were changed when Burmese authorities decided to open a marketing
complex at Namphalong in Tamu town in 1997.

Now, Moreh is in a deserted look as the business has shifted to
Namphalong Market in the other side of the border. Traders and shoppers
from other parts of India go to Namphalong market, a few meters away
from Moreh, for the goods ranging from plastic bowls to China-made
pocket radios.

Since the operationalisation of Indo-Burma border trade in 1995, it has
been a consistent demand from the traders community that the development
of Moreh is an urgent need for smooth functioning of the border trade.
Tamu-Moreh is the main route of the Indo-Burma border trade.

The central government has now decided to establish "Trade Centres" at
Imphal and Moreh for providing necessary facilities to the traders and
entrepreneurs. The development of Moreh Town includes construction of
show room-cum-sales counters, opening of export/import information Cell
and providing telecommunication facilities like telephone, STD/ISD,
Telex, Fax, Computer Centers, etc. for the benefits of the traders.
Although there are now more than 500 telephone subscribers,
telecommunication system in Moreh is a total failure.