Modi visits Manipur, unveils Rs 8,500 crore development plan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Manipur on Saturday, making his first trip to the northeastern state since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023, and laid foundation stones for major development projects in Churachandpur while addressing gatherings in both Churachandpur and Imphal. Officials said the initiatives announced and inaugurated on the day include works in urban roads, drainage and asset management in Manipur, five national highway projects, an information technology development project and working women hostels, together amounting to more than Rs 7,300 crore in Churachandpur and additional schemes in Imphal worth over Rs 1,200 crore. Government statements described the combined interventions as roughly Rs 8,500 crore in new commitments for the state.

Modi appealed for peace and unity during his address in Churachandpur, a district that became a Kuki stronghold during the violence, and met families displaced by the clashes at the Peace Ground before the rally. Addressing the crowd, he called Manipur a "land of courage and bravery" and said he saw "a new dawn of hope and progress," urging all groups to choose peace so children could have a secure future. He also...