House passes seven demands for grants
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIPR
Imphal, July 28 2022:
Manipur Legislative Assembly passed seven Demands for Grants amounting to Rs 2032,70,93,000 on the fourth day of the session on Thursday.
The Demands for Grants included a sum of Rs 58,86,31,000 for Transport, Rs 1026,52,47,000 for Public Works Department, Rs 15,89,83,000 for Information and Publicity, Rs 38,48,97,000 for Cooperation, Rs 7,74,39,000 for Stationery and Printing, Rs 62,01,79,000 for Fisheries and Rs 823,17,17,000 for Social Welfare Department.
During discussions on these demands for grants, Policy Cut Motions were raised by Congress MLAs K Ranjit Singh (Sugnu), K Meghachandra (Wangkhem), Th Lokeshwar �(Khundrakpam) and Surjakumar Okram (Khangabok) on four demands.
Thangmeiband MLA Kh Joykisan, Phungyar MLA Leishiyo Keishing, Ukhrul MLA Ram Muivah, Kakching MLA M Rameshwar and Surjakumar Okram also gave observation on certain matters.
Dr Sapam Ranjan, who is in-charge of Information and Publicity Department, informed the House that the department had earlier conducted recruitment to fill vacancies, adding that he would try to announce the result soon in consultation with the chief minister.
Speaking about the welfare measures for journalists, Dr Ranjan mentioned that a corpus fund of Rs 10 crore had been kept for the Manipur State Journalists' Welfare Scheme.
Apart from this, media persons had been given other facilities like inclusion under Chief Min-istergi Hakshelgi Tengbang Scheme, Manipur Working Journalist s Pension Scheme and Manipur State Journalist Awards among others.
He stressed the need to strengthen the working of Manipur Information Centre in Delhi to disseminate information about development taking place in the state to the people of other states.
Fisheries and Social Welfare Minister Heikham Dingo, while giving clarification to the Policy Cut Motion, informed that fish farmers are given loans under Kisan Credit Card and so far, 89 of them had availed loans and added that Rs 2 lakh is given per hectare.
He further said that under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, grants are given to the beneficiaries for establishment of hatcheries, construction of ponds and setting up of biofloc units.
He stated that the department would procure testing kits to check presence of formaldehyde in fish brought from outside the state and would start testing at certain entry points.
Regarding the old age pension scheme under the Social Welfare Department, the minister stated that disbursement of old aged pension was done through MLAs for their respective constituencies earlier.
However, after 2017, the pension amounts are transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer.
CM N Biren, who is also in charge of Administrative Reforms, tabled The 14th Annual Report of Manipur Information Commission for 2020-2021' in the session.
The House also passed five bills including The Code of Criminal Procedures (Manipur Third Amendment) Bill, 2022 (Bill No 3 of 2022), The Manipur Goods and Service Tax (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2022 (Bill No 6 of 2022), The Manipur Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2022 (Bill No 8 of 2022), The Factories (Manipur Amendment) Bill, 022 (Bill No 7 of 2022) and the Legal Metrology (Manipur First Amendment) Bill, 2022 (Bill No 9 of 2022) .
The Manipur Panchayati Raj (Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2022 (Bill No 4 of 2022), which was moved by Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RD & PR) Minister Y Khemchand Singh was referred to the Select Committee for further discussion.
The Select Committee included Y Khemchand as chairman and Langthabal MLA Karam Shyam, Wabagai MLA Usham Deben Singh, Sugnu MLA K Ranjit Singh and Khundrakpam MLA Th Lokeshwar Singh as members.