IRB recruitment results after Assembly session: CM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 26 2022: Chief Minister N Biren who is also in charge of Home Department has stated on the floor of the House today that recruitment results of 10th IRB and 11th IRB would be declared after the ongoing session is over.

He informed the House that 12 bullet-proof vehicles fitted with GPS which would be used for patrolling Imphal-Jiribam highway have arrived.

The budget estimates 2022-23 which was tabled in the State Assembly yesterday was discussed in the House today.

Clarifying different points raised by Opposition Member K Meghachandra in the course of discussing the budget estimates, Chief Minister N Biren stated that security barracks would be constructed at six locations along Imphal-Jiribam highway.

It is estimated that each barrack would cost around Rs two crore and the total cost of constructing the barracks would be borne by the Central Government.

As such, there is no need for spending any money from the State budget, the Chief Minister said.

Responding to a proposal submitted by the State Government to send National Highway Protection Force, the Central Government maintained that other States would come up with similar demands if the particular demand is granted.

Nonetheless, they suggested the State Government to recruit IRB for securing National Highways.

Subsequently, the State Government initiated the recruitment process of 10th IRB and 11 th IRB, Biren told the House.

He assured that the recruitment results would be announced soon after the Assembly session is over.

Biren said that six GPS-enabled patrol vehicles have been deployed on Imphal-Mao highway and seven other such vehicles on Imphal-Moreh highway.

Identification of sites for opening 34 police stations along the international border from Churachandpur to Jessami has been completed, he said.

The Chief Minister reminded that the War on Drugs was launched in 2018 in view of the alarming drug situation witnessed in the State.

Claiming that the War on Drugs is now supported by every community of the State, the Chief Minister invited all the MLAs to the campaign.

Regarding the arrest of a man from Manipur along with drugs worth Rs two crore in Assam a few days back, the Chief Minister only said, 'one reaps what one sows'.

Maintaining that no wrongdoers can escape the law, Biren appealed to all the MLAs to launch drives against drugs within their respective Assembly segments.

All the MLAs, irrespective of whether they belong to the Opposition or ruling parties, need to support every step of the Government if the State's economy must grow, the Chief Minister asserted.

He said that funds allocated to different departments were deducted by 40 to 60 per cent earlier as there was urgent need for development of health infrastructure in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If there is no further wave of the pandemic, maximum efforts would be invested to ensure that the full amounts reflected in the budget are utilised in the field, stated the Chief Minister who is also in charge of Finance Department.

He informed the House that over 300 wells have been constructed in paddy fields in order to harvest/store rain water.

Plans are also afoot to dig around 1800 ponds, he added.

As elected representatives, fertilizers are being distributed to farmers through MLAs and there is no shortage of fertilizers, Biren claimed.

Joining the budget discussion, MLA K Meghachandra remarked that the budget is not people friendly, devoid of direction and lacks demand-wise details.

Saying that the people are unlikely to trust the budget, the Congress MLA urged the Government to review the budget.

Pointing out that the budget projects a fiscal deficit of around Rs 16,000 crore, Meghachandra said that the budget would aggravate the State's debt and add to the people's suffering.

Saying that the budget does not reflect any amount for providing assistance to the families of individuals killed by COVID-19 and other affected families, the Congress MLA asserted that the State is facing a financial crisis.

No single scheme/project meant for welfare of farmers can be seen in the budget nor does it give due emphasis on the current issue of unavailability of fertilizers, Meghachandra said.

There is no clear cut policy to control the drug menace and the Government has failed to fulfil its assurance of deploying Highway Protection Force, he accused the Government.

Hailing the several measures taken up by the Government to make the State self-reliant, MLA M Rameshwar said that the BJP-led Government has been working to set up an IT special economic zone with the primary objective of generating employment.

The special economic zone would have a hospital and hotel and it is driven by an idea to bring back Manipuri people who are working outside the State, M Rameshwar added.

Later, the Manipur Legislative Assembly passed a total amount of Rs 187,02,69,000 for Excess Grants for the year 2017-18 which included Rs 11,70,72,000 for State Legislature, Rs 139,98,47,000 for Finance, Rs 27,63,84,000 for Labour and Employment, Rs 5,57,08,000 for Textiles, Commerce & Industries and Rs 2,21,58,000 for Sericulture.

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