Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has announced his government’s plans to develop Behiang town in Churachandpur district as the second trade corridor to the South-East Asian countries as part of the Centre’s Act East policy.

The government will establish a trade centre at Behiang, for which road connectivity in the area, particularly the 62-km Churachandpur-Behiang stretch that passes through Singhat, has to be improved, Biren said at a function organised at Churachandpur to pay tributes to the Zou community freedom fighters.

Behiang, located approximately 4 km from the India-Myanmar border, will serve as the second gateway to South-East Asian countries after the Indo-Myanmar commercial border town of Moreh in Tengnoupal district.

The CM also promised to visit Behiang periodically along with his cabinet ministers to review the road development work and said Manipur cannot be termed as a ‘developed state’ unless all far-flung areas have proper infrastructure.

Inaugurating the Zou Gal Memorial Cemetery and the staff quarters of a Primary Health Centre (PHC), Biren said the medical facility will soon be upgraded to Community Health Centre.