Imphal, July 07: Terming the Governor's address to the House on March 11 this year as lacking in vision, the Opposition DPA today held that the address should not be passed without the necessary amendment.

Taking part in the discussion of the Governor's address to the Assembly in the evening session of the Budget session today, MPP MLA Dr Nimaichand Luwang said that there is no major change in the address delivered by the Governor vis-�-vis given on the first day of the Assembly last year.

He added that the address says nothing about the vision of the SPF Government.

Picking loop holes in the Governor's address, Dr Luwang said that though the address talked about the problem of unemployment getting compounded by the MoU signed between the State Government and the Finance Ministry, there was nothing on how to remedy the situation.

Dr Luwang said that the Governor's address should not be passed without the necessary amendment and took a dig at the SPF Government saying that there is nothing to expect from a Government that is surviving on Ways and Means Advance from the Centre and reveling in over drafts.

Joining in, O Joy said that though the Governor's address said that the Centre has been approached to depute more Central forces to ensure peace and development, the problem of insurgency can never be solved through the might of the gun.

Joy said that if the insurgency problem is to be solved then the Government should declare an unconditional cease fire and find out ways to bring the militant groups to the negotiating table.

Like Nimaichand Luwang, Joy also said that the Governor's address said nothing about solving the problem of unemployment and added that since the unemployment problem hits the youth the hardest, the State Government ought to frame a Youth Policy.

Picking further faults with the Governor's address, Joy said though the address spoke about the need to encourage sportspersons nothing has been done towards this end.

Decentralization of power which was mentioned in the address has not happened, said Joy and added that as such the address had nothing new to offer.

A number of Opposition MLAs including I Hemochandra, M Bhorot, S Ibohal, N Biren and M Nilachandra also chipped in and said that the Governor's address should not be passed without amendments.

Opposition members also charged that some Ministers have inducted a large number of employees in Centrally sponsored schemes without getting the approval of the Cabinet which clearly violate the MoU.

Disagreeing with the stand of the Opposition, Commerce and Industries Minister Th Debendra said that the Governor's address is a document of the Government's policy.

Debendra said that there are problems and delays in utilizing all the funds pumped in by the Centre for infrastructural development due to the law and order situation.

To solve the unemployment problem (there are about 10 lakhs unemployed youths), the Government is mulling over the possibility of setting aside 50 percent of the Plan amount.

Debendra also said that the Government is intent on increasing the resource of the State and appealed to all to extend their co-operation to the endeavor of the people in tax drive launched by the Government.

He said that the returns from Sales Tax, the cut in Grant-in-Aid by the Centre and the rise in expenditure have compounded the acute financial problem.

Transport Minister Manga Vaiphei claimed that the law and order situation has seen a marked improvement and added that of the 120 surrendered militants 20 have been rehabilitated.

Vaiphei claimed that despite the financial problems, the Government is still going ahead with some development projects.