Three projects of Rs 92 Cr in pipeline
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 27 2018:
While three projects of Rs 92 crore have been approved for implementation in the State under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS), four other projects of Rs 110 crore may be taken up under the Ministry of Tourism.
NESIDS was launched under the Ministry of DoNER and the Government of India sanctioned Rs 1600 crore in December last year for taking up several projects in the eight North Eastern States including Sikkim for 2017-19 and 2019-20, informed a source.
Distribution of projects/funds under NESIDS is done based on the States' territorial size, population, human development index, road density etc.
Based on these parameters, Manipur will get 9.98 per cent of the total fund sanctioned under the scheme for the current year.
Assam will get 27.78 per cent, Meghalaya 10.76 per cent, Mizoram 10.42 per cent, Nagaland 10.18 per cent, Sikkim 6.54 per cent and Tripura 11.28 per cent.
A meeting of the 3rd Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) was held on May 11 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on the different projects which would be taken up in the North East under NESIDS, said the source.
State Government officials presented a proposal of seven projects amounting to Rs 202 crore during the meeting but the IMC approved only three projects of Rs 92 crore.
The schemes which have been approved are augmentation of water supply network at Churachandpur district headquarters (Rs 20 crore), augmentation of water supply scheme at Senapati district headquarters (Rs 30 crore) and construction of six overhead water tanks and laying of water pipes at Thongju and surrounding areas of Imphal East district.
The IMC recommended the State Government to send proposal for three other projects to the Ministry of Tourism as they can be incorporated within the Ministry's Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
The State Government officials were also assured that the Ministry of DoNER would write to the Ministry of Tourism to increase fund allocation for Manipur, conveyed the source.
The three projects of Rs 90 crore which have been recommended for submission to the Ministry of Tourism are construction of a heritage circuit connecting Koubru, Wangbrel, Thangjing, Marjing and some other places, development of eco-tourism facility at Loktak Lake and development of water body at Lamphelpat for tourism.
The State Government also presented another project of Rs 20 crore for development of CC Higher Secondary School and Johnstone Higher Secondary School as smart schools but the IMC asked the State Government to make a detailed study on the viability of the same project.
All the projects approved by the committee should be completed by March 31, 2020 .
In case any of these projects could not be completed within this deadline, whatever amount necessary for completing the projects should be borne by the State Government as the Ministry would not release any more fund.
Tourism Director W Ibohal, PHED Chief Engineer H Sunil, PHE/Tourism Secretary Nidhi Kesarwani, former Planning Secretary N Ashok Kumar, PHED AE Sh Bimalchandra and Education (S) Director Th Kirankumar represented the State Government at the meeting.