Imphal, Sept. 25: Nightlife in this city, which now ends by 9pm, is expected to perk up from next month with stalls, boating and musical concerts over the weekend.

The N. Biren Singh government has cleared the decks to open the night plaza.

"The night plaza will be launched on October 2. Stalls will be opened along the route running parallel to Kangla moat here. It will be open every Saturday and Sunday from 7pm to 10pm," an official source said.

The government plans to keep the plaza open everyday during Sangai Festival, a 10-day annual festival organised from November 21 every year to promote tourism.

"The idea behind the night plaza is to give recreational space to people after working the whole day. It will be a place where they can spend quality leisure time with their families. We hope that this is a good initiative," the source said.

With this move, the Biren Singh government wishes to depict the state as peaceful and free from militant violence, as any other city with a night life, to attract investors and tourists.

The vice-chairman of the Niti Aayog, Rajiv Kumar, during his first visit here last week, advised the Manipur government to create favourable conditions to attract private investment.

The plan is to open stalls along the half-a-km stretch of road along the Kangla moat with a variety of items, including the indigenous cuisine of the state. Altogether there will be 110 stalls, of which 80 will be food stalls.

The city had begin to shut down early since the early nineties after heightened militant activities.

The Biren Singh government claimed that the law and order situation in the state had improved considerably. His government is working hard to attract foreign as well as domestic investors.

"All departments have joined hands in this endeavour and we are hoping that it will be a landmark in the history of Manipur," the source said. The Manipur State Power Distribution Company is working on lighting up the plaza.

The municipal administration and housing and urban development department are working on the final preparations for the plaza.

The state police department has been instructed to ensure that the night plaza remains trouble free.