Imphal, May 30 2009: The state Cabinet today decided to appropriately award the Army troops and Bishnupur Police Commandos who had taken part in the Operation Summer Storm from April 11 till 20 during which 12 underground insurgents were killed and various UG outfits that had been making their hideouts at the Loktak lake were driven away.

A meeting of the state cabinet held at 4 pm today at the conference hall of the Chief Minister's Secretariate chaired by Chief Minister O Ibobi has decided to award Rs 7 lakh to the troops of 57 Mtn Divn Red Shield and Rs 3 lakh to the team of Bishnupur District Police Commandos, a cabinet source said.

The meeting also decided to pay Rs 50,000 as ex-gratia to the nearest kin of each of the 11 persons killed and Rs 20,000 to each of the 49 persons injured in the bus accident that happened on May 7 last at Sangrungpang in Tamenglong district.

The source further informed that the meeting also approved the proposal of giving employment to the families of two drivers of IFCD who were shot dead by unknown miscreants on November 21 last year at a place in Lamlai area.

Premjit, son of the deceased driver M Chaoba and Y Ongbi Bijenti, wife of the deceased driver Inaobi would be given jobs at the Loktak Development Authority.

Another significant decision taken at today's cabinet meeting relates to steps to be taken to improve the power situation in the state.

The cabinet approved a proposal of 5% joint venture of the Tipaimukh Multi-purpose Project with NEEPCO under which the project is being taken up.

The meeting has also worked out a way to contribute five percent of the total cost of the project and to jointly implement it with NEEPCO as joint venture, the source said.

The meeting further approved the importation of another 220 KV line of power apart from the present import of 120 KV which is found to be inadequate.

The new line will be implemented at the cost of Rs 8,800 crore.

The Centre will be asked to give assistance to bear seventy percent of the cost while the DoNER will be asked to sanction remaining amount, according to the source.

The Power department has long been pressing for the installation of the 220 KV power line.

This large project may take some three years for the accomplishment.

The source also said that the project is to be taken up in advance so as to enable the state to intake the excess power after the completion of the Tipaimukh Project.

The Cabinet meeting has also approved for the creation of posts for the setting up of SDO/BDO offices under the state Revenue department at Wilong and Phaizol in Tamenglong district, the source said.

Further, the source added that the Cabinet meeting has also sanctioned its approval for conducting DPC for filling up of various posts in the Family Welfare department apart from giving its consent for the appointment of government Advocate at the Gauhati High Court, Imphal Bench.

The source added that the Cabinet meeting has approved for the appointment of 29 posts in the Manipur Legislative Assembly and also another nine posts in the Governor's Secretariat.

Besides, the meeting approved for the appointment of 30 posts of Primary Invigilator in the department of Economics and Statistics, the source informed.

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