Centre disapproved highway protection force plan: CM
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 26 2022:
Chief Minister N Biren said that the Centre has sanctioned Rs 80 crore for setting up 34 police stations along the international border from Churachandpur to Jessami, and site identification for the 34 police stations has been completed.
In response to questions raised by opposition member MLA K Meghachandra during the discussion on Budget Estimate 2022-23 in the ongoing state assembly session on Tuesday, Biren said that the government tried to establish highway protection force but the Centre advised against it citing possible similar demands from other states.
Later, the Centre approved the recruitment rally for 10th and
11th IRB to utilise the personnel in protecting the national highway.
Results of the recruitment are all
set for announcement after the
ongoing assembly session, he said.
Regarding setting up of police
stations along the international
border, Biren said that the project
was sanctioned to check illegal
smuggling activities along the
border.
He also said that a security
barrack will be constructed
in Jiribam out of the Rs 80 crore
fund allocation.
Mentioning about deployment
of six bullet proof highway protection
patrol vehicles fitted with
GPS each along Imphal-Mao and
Imphal Moreh highways, Biren
said that 12 more such vehicles
have arrived for utilisation along
Imphal-Jiribam highway.
He also deliberated on the initiatives
taken up by the government
to protect forest and asserted that
most of the timbers available in the
state are brought in from Myanmar
and the government had also
rejected a proposal to set up a ply
factory in the state.
Clarifying the misunderstanding
regarding borrowing amount mentioned
in the budget estimate, the
CM said that it does not meant that
the state government will borrow
Rs 1800 crore from the open market
but it simply stated the upper
limit, which the government could
borrow if the need arises, and it
is based on the GSDP of the state.
There is need to borrow fund from
the open market as there is strong
instruction to repay funds sanctioned
under central sector scheme
if the same is not released to the
beneficiaries by August 20.However,
it is too early to say whether
the government will reach the limit
or not, he explained.
As for the matter related with
construction of guest houses, the
CM said that there are proposals
of holding several national and
international level events in the
state and it would require proper
accommodation for the delegates.
As of now, ambassadors of several
G20 nations are expressing their
desire to visit the state.
At the same
time, preparations are on to host
Durand Cup and Femina Miss India
Beauty Contest in Imphal, he said.
International cricket teams want
to play matches in Imphal and there
are also proposals to host several
northeast conferences.
It requires
infrastructure development to host
such events but there is no five-star
hotel in the state.
The government
had discussed the matter with Taj
Group of Hotels for operating the
guest houses and repaying the loan.
After repaying the loan after 10 or 15
years, the guest houses will remain
as assets of the state, the CM said.
He also pointed out that not only
Manipur but all the states of the
country are experiencing poor financial
condition and the government
would require support from
opposition to bring economic development.
As the state has limited
revenue sources, it needs proper
policy to increase the source and
revenue as well.
The government
is putting in efforts to streamline
the financial system under the
leadership of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
In the last budget,
the government cut down budget
for some departments and diverted
the same towards health sector
in order to save lives during the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Biren also stressed the need for
rainwater conservation to meet the
water requirement for agricultural
purposes, and told the House that
the government had dug 300 tube
wells to provide irrigation water to
several farmlands.
Moreover, the
government is planning to develop
1900 ponds as part of the 75th year
of India's independence celebration.
There is also plan to distribute
water pumps to farmers under minor
irrigation and MOBC, he said.
Clarifying on the issue of urea, the CM said that the government did not issue any urea quota for any MLA but the fertilisers were distributed through them for the sake of wider and proper distribution.
There is no shortage of urea, it is simply a matter of time that the remaining farmers will receive their share of urea, he added.
Responding to a question on drug trade related with former ADC chairman Lhukhosei Zou and his daughter, Biren informed the House that neither the government nor the police released Lhukhosei Zou but was set free on the basis of a court order.
As for the seizure of drugs from a vehicle registered in the name of Lhukhosei Zou's daughter in Guwahati, the case will take its legal course and nobody will escape justice, he reasoned.
The CM further said that the government has prepared a special package to provide skill development training to the educated youths of the state as a joint venture between Tata and ITIs of the state.