Process underway to purchase two lakh prepaid meters: Biswajit
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, February 27 2020: Due process is underway to pur-chase two lakh prepaid pow- er meters for power con- sumers who have not yet installed these meters, stated Power Minister Th Biswajit in the State Assembly today in response to a question raised by MLA K Ranjit.

During the question hour, K Ranjit asked how many prepaid meters have been installed, how many prepaid meters were purchased from 2017 till January 2020, how much tax have been collected and how much money was spent in purchasing power.

Replying to the Opposition MLA, Th Biswajit said that 3,35,519 prepaid meters have been installed so far and no prepaid meter was purchased between 2017 and January, 2020 .

Process underway to purchase two lakh prepaid meters: Biswajit

An amount of Rs 13.86 crore was collected as tax from power consumers having prepaid meters during 2017-18 and Rs 14.20 crore in 2018-19.Another amount of Rs 5.19 crore was collected from power consumers who are yet to install prepaid meters during 2017-18 and 6.05 crore in 2018-19, Biswajit informed the House.

The State spent Rs 337.26 crore in purchasing power in 2017-18 and 396.05 crore in 2018-19, said the Power Minister.

Replying to another question of K Ranjit, Biswajit said that there are 1.65 lakh power consumers who have not yet installed prepaid meters.

He said that the Government has been giving Rs 10 crore to the Manipur State Power Company Limited as grant every year.

The monthly deficit incurred in purchasing power is Rs 9.06 crore in 2017-18, Rs 12.76 crore in 2018-19 and Rs 12.89 crore in 2019-20, said the Power Minister.

There is no official instruction to collect Rs 1000 as power tax per month from consumers who have not yet installed prepaid meters.

However, if any one is collecting such amount, necessary action would be initiated, Biswajit said.

He said that taxes payable by power consumers would vary according to the quantity of power consumed even though they have not yet installed prepaid meters.

Responding to a question raised by D Korungthang, Labour and Employment Minister Th Radheshyam said that there are 70 employment exchange offices in the State and nine at the district level.

The State Cabinet had adopted a decision to open employment exchange offices in the newly created districts and also to create 66 posts for the same.

The Finance Department is working to process the same Cabinet decision, Radheshyam said.

Water Resources Minister Letpao Haokip replying to a question related to Mapithel Dam informed the House that the homestead lands of six villages were submerged by the dam for which relief and rehabilitation package was provided.

He also stated that from the list of affected families verified and submitted by the concerned DCs, all the families have availed the relief and rehabilitation package except 56 families of Chadong village for which the process is going on at present.

Education Minister Th Radheshyam replying to a question raised by MLA Dr Chaltonlien Amo stated that the amount sanctioned for construction of infrastructure under School Fagathansi Mission is not distributed constituency-wise but school-wise.

Horticulture & Soil Conservation Minister Th Shyamkumar informed the House that the total area identified for cultivation of king chilli (U-morok) is about 500 hectares in five districts and assistance is given in cash (through DBT) and kind (inputs) under Mission Organic Value Chain Development in North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), Central Sector Scheme under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

On the basis of district-wise detailed report, the area for cultivation of U-morok for Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Ukhrul, Noney and Pherzawl are 100, 50, 200, 100 and 50 hectares respectively, he informed.

Minister Shyamkumar also stated that the total assistance given in the forms of money, kind and technology for Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Ukhrul, Noney and Pherzawl are Rs 53,20,000; Rs 6,60,000; Rs 1,04,00,000; Rs 60,40,000 and Rs 26,60,000 respectively.

RD & PR Minister Th Biswajit said that the average number of days of employment provided in Manipur under the MGNREGS out of the mandatory 100 days during the current financial year 2019-20 is about 31.58 days.