All Parliamentary Secretaries had resigned: Biren
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 07 2018: Since the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries have been termed unconstitutional, all the Parliamentary Secretaries had been made to resign and the question of appointing Parliamentary Secretaries no longer exists, asserted Chief Minister N Biren on the floor of the State Assembly today.

The Chief Minister stated that the Parliamentary Secretaries were appointed following the footsteps of the previous Government thinking that it was permissible.

Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Y Joykumar today tabled five demands amounting to Rs 78,02,56,3000 including Rs 81,48,99.000 for the State Legislature, Rs 6,84,14,000 for the Council of Ministers, Rs 101,56,78,000 for the Secretariat, Rs 539,39,07,000 for MAHUD and 50,96,65,000 for Election.

However, the demand pertaining to MAHUD was boycotted by Opposition MLAs and they walked out of the House as the Speaker took up the particular demand for discussion.

While discussing the demands, Congress MLAs K Meghachandra and Md Abdul Nasir contended that appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries violates the Constitution, non-local population is on the verge of overtaking indigenous people due to wanton enlistment of non-local people in electoral roll and processing of files goes very slow at the Secretariat.

Responding to the Opposition Members, Biren asserted that MLAs who were appointed as Parliamentary Secretaries during the previous Government should resign first if the MLAs of the incumbent Government who have already resigned from the post of Parliamentary Secretary must resign from being MLAs.

Reacting to a comment purportedly made by K Meghachandra that "difficulties will arise within the next couple of days", Biren said that he is well prepared to face any challenge.

Biren asserted that be would not run away from any challenge.

Questioning the definition of outsiders from the perspective of the Constitution, Biren stated that stringent security measures were put in place at border areas particularly Moreh and Jiribam.

Moreover around 1600 people who were found absent at their residences/villages on the pretext that they had gone to work have been identified apart from arresting three/four Rohingyas.

With a view to check unlawful immigration, two Bills have been passed and one more needs to be drafted and passed.

Moreover, there is a need to draft a registry of citizens in the model of Assam's NRC, Biren stated.

The Government has been working to make up all the shortfalls of all Manipur Bhavans up to 99 per cent by March, Biren continued.

Order has been made for procuring five vehicles for Delhi Manipur Bhavan and the Government has been working to get the new Civil Secretariat building inaugurated by the Prime Minister in March.

Plans are also afoot to construct a cluster of quarters for all the MLAs and Ministers near STPI complex.

The Government would initiate land acquisition process.

The Government has also been planning to shift Manipur Police headquarters to near STPI complex.

The Government has also instructed officials not to withhold files and all officials would be instructed again to expedite file processes, Biren assured the House.

Later all the five demands were passed by the House.

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