Manipur Cabinet approves Pawan Hans helicopter services for remote areas, declares Loktak Day an annual State Festival and allows eligible newspaper presses to seek paddy land use permission.
Imphal, Oct. 22: The Manipur State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, on Thursday approved the engagement of Pawan Hans Limited to resume helicopter services in remote areas, declared Loktak Day an annual State Festival and included registered newspaper printing presses equipped with web offset machines under the category of “public purposes” for specified land-use permissions.
The Cabinet meeting was held at the Cabinet Hall of the Chief Minister's Office at Mantripukhri, Imphal, on Thursday evening. The decisions cover connectivity to remote and hill areas, the promotion of Loktak Lake's cultural and environmental significance, and provisions for newspaper printing infrastructure under the Manipur Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2014.
The Cabinet approved engaging Pawan Hans Limited, a Government of India undertaking, to restore helicopter services in Manipur, which have remained suspended since October 1, 2026.
Under the decision, one twin-engine helicopter will be deployed for six months or until a regular operator is selected through a tender process. The service will operate for a minimum of 40 flying hours per month.
The helicopter service is intended to reconnect remote and hill areas with Imphal, providing improved transportation access for residents and supporting medical emergencies.
According to the Cabinet decision, the expenditure will be shared with the Ministry of Home Affairs under its North East helicopter scheme. If Central assistance is unavailable, the State Government will bear the cost to ensure continuity of the service.
The resumption is expected to provide an alternative transport option for people in areas where road connectivity can pose challenges, particularly in emergencies requiring timely access to medical facilities in Imphal.
In another significant decision, the Cabinet approved the celebration of Loktak Day every year as a State Festival on the full-moon day of Mera, identified in the press note as Thanil of Mera Tha.
The community tradition originated in 1990 at Thanga and honours Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India and an important source of livelihood and cultural identity for the people of Manipur.
The annual festival will be organised at two locations. This year's celebration, beginning on October 26, will be held at Loktak Lairembi Ground in Thanga and at Komlakhong.
The Loktak Development Authority will organise the events in collaboration with local clubs.
The celebrations will include cultural programmes, traditional sports and conservation-related activities, with members of the public, students and youth encouraged to participate.
By according Loktak Day the status of a State Festival, the Government aims to recognise the lake's cultural importance and the community traditions associated with it. The event will also provide a platform to promote awareness about the conservation of Loktak Lake and its ecological significance.
The Cabinet also approved the inclusion of registered and licensed newspaper printing presses equipped with web offset machines in the list of “public purposes” under the Manipur Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2014.
Under the decision, eligible printing presses may seek permission to use up to 0.62 acre of contiguous paddy land, subject to the other safeguards and requirements prescribed under the Act.
The move is intended to facilitate the relocation of large newspaper printing presses from congested residential localities, where printing operations can cause noise disturbances during night-time hours.
The Government's decision recognises the infrastructure requirements of newspaper printing while retaining restrictions intended to prevent the misuse of the provision.
The inclusion does not amount to unrestricted permission to convert paddy land. Eligible presses will still have to obtain the necessary approval and comply with the applicable safeguards under the legislation.
The provision is expected to help address operational difficulties faced by large printing establishments in densely populated areas while maintaining the legal protections governing paddy fields and wetlands.
The three decisions announced by the State Cabinet on Thursday address public connectivity, cultural recognition and newspaper printing infrastructure, with implementation subject to the conditions specified in the respective approvals.
