17 fire stations functional, 12 defunct: CM
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 27 2022:
Informing that a project proposal worth Rs 93 crore has been submitted to the centre for setting up Fire Service Stations in vulnerable areas, Chief Minister N Biren said that work will begin once the clearance is given.
Responding to opposition MLA Kh Lokeshwar's question on fire service station on the third day of the Assembly session on Wednesday, CM Biren said that of the 39 fire service stations in the state, 17 are functional while 12 are defunct.
Around Rs 10 crore has been allocated in this year's budget to revive the defunct stations and will soon become functional.
Regarding the question of National Food Security posed by MLA Kh Joykisan, CAF & PD Minister L Susindro Meetei said that around Rs 84 crore has been allocated in the budget to provide NFSA rice to the people with the rice produced locally in the state.
However, as the price of indigenous rice is high, the matter has been delayed for some time.
Although the state had not procured flour for the last 4/5 years, the same can be taken if needed.
Under this Act, around 87 per cent of the people should be benefited, but only 70.89 percent have reaped benefits.
New beneficiaries will be added after a strict scrutiny as per the rules, he said, while adding the cards for beneficiaries will be distributed as soon as possible.
To another question raised by Joykisan, Minister Biswajit stated that around 5 lakh consumers will have prepaid meter connections by December this year.
In 2021-22, Rs 139.42 crore was utilised for regular, contract employee, staff salary and other expenditures of MSPCL and MSPDCL, with Rs 68.24 crore utilised for MSPCL and Rs 71.18 for MSPDCL.
This year, around Rs 506.34 crore was used in purchasing electricity for the public usage, while Rs 397.04 crore was collected from the consumers.
Around Rs 74.36 crore in tax could not be collected from government officers, while around Rs 86.24 crore could not be collected from private citizens, totalling up to Rs 160.6 crore in uncollected taxes.
A target has been set to collect at least 20 percent of the dues, which if successful, could help in resolving the dues as soon as possible, he added.