Diverted fund to back highway expansion
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 06 2013:
From the funds allocated to different departments for the current financial year, 10 to 30 per cent would be deducted and invested in expansion of highways.
The State Government is constrained to deduct certain percentage of the funds allocated to different departments for expansion and repairing of National Highways and State Highways passing through the four valley districts on account of the sick financial condition of the State, informed an official source.
In the first phase, NH-2 and Tiddim Road (Keishampat to Malom) would be expanded.
It is estimated that Rs 300 crore would be required for expansion of the two highways.
Like other departments, plan amount allocated to PWD would be deducted by certain percentage for investment in the highway expansion project.
For departments which get lesser share of fund, there would be 10 per cent deduction while up to 30 per cent of the allocated funds would be deducted from departments which get comparatively greater share of fund, informed the official source.
Notably, total plan outlay of the State for the current financial year is Rs 3650 crore.
The plan outlay is inclusive of Rs 450 crore from SPA, Rs 800 crore from SCA, Rs 44.82 crore from NEC, Rs 94.63 from NLCPR and Rs 1343.13 crore from ACA.
The State Government has been giving highest priority to social service sector this financial year by allocating 26.80 per cent (Rs 978.74 crore) .
Irrigation and Flood Control is second in the priority list with 25.97 fund allocation.
Next in the priority list is general economic service and it gets 18.78 per cent of the total plan outlay.
Chief Minister O Ibobi, after his arrival from China recently, convened a meeting with Ministers and MLAs of all the valley districts and adopted a decision to expand all National Highways passing through the valley districts up to 150 feet.