ADC, ULB, Panchayat polls in Mar /Apr: CM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 02 2023: Chief Minister N Biren has stated on the floor of the State Assembly that Autonomous District Council, urban local bodies and Panchayat elections would be held in March/April one after another.

The Chief Minister made this announcement today while discussing a demand for grant pertaining to Panchayat (Rs 156,80,42,000) .

If the delimitation process being carried out by the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) is completed and there is no legal complicacy, the ADC, ULB and Panchayat elections would be certainly held in March-April, Biren said.

The ADCs' term expired first followed by ULBs and Panchayats.

But the ADC election was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the HAC's inability to complete the delimitation process.

Nonetheless, due preparations have been made to hold all these pending elections, the Chief Minister said.

ADC, ULB, Panchayat polls in Mar /Apr: CM

Taking part in discussing the demand, Panchayati Raj Minister Yumnam Khemchand said that all necessary formalities for the ULB and Panchayat elections have been forwarded to the State Election Commission.

As of now, DC's have been discharging the functions of Zilla Parishads and they have been directed to set up administrative committees which would take care of the works and functions of Panchayats, Khemchand said.

There is a Court order which said that ULB Chairpersons should be allowed to function as caretakers.

The matter is being examined by the Government considering the fact that ULB election would be held shortly, he said.

Citing delay in holding Panchayat election, Opposition MLAs K Ranjit and K Meghachandra raised policy cut motions in the course of discussing the demand.

Responding to policy cut motions and general observations made by some Members of the House while discussing a demand for grant pertaining to Environment and Forest (Rs 710,72,85,000), Environment and Forest Minister Thongam Biswajit said that the MPCB has installed ambient air quality monitoring stations at MU campus and DMU campus.

Efforts are on to install similar stations at other places, he added.

Although licences/permits for opening brick fields are given by another department, the Environment Department has been studying the degree of pollution caused by brick fields, he said.

Biswajit said that an extensive drive would be carried out to ascertain the degree of pollution caused by brick fields.

The total forest area of Manipur is 17,418 Sq Kms and they are classified into Reserved Forest, Protected forest and Unclassed, he said.

To protect and promote these forests is one of the responsibilities of the Government but the whole responsibility of safeguarding the forests should not be heaped on the Government alone, Biswajit said before appealing to all Members of the House and the public to share the responsibility.

Lumbering, poppy plantations and many other factors are responsible for the shrinkage of forest areas.

But all timber transportations are not illegal because timbers can be transported by obtaining necessary permits, he said.

He informed the House that around 600 cubic metre of timber seized for illegal transportation have been auctioned.

He said that around 135 households who encroached into reserved forests were evicted during the last few years.

While six persons were arrested in connection with starting forest fires, around 3 crore tree saplings were planted during the last few years, the Environment and Forest Minister said.

Responding to an observation made by Surjakumar Okram, Biswajit said that Nambul River is one of the nine rivers selected by the Central Pollution Control Board for rejuvenation.

As per the National Wetland Atlas 2009, 708 wetlands were identified in Manipur and 23 of them are being studied.

Further, due notification has been issued to hold a tender for rejuvenation of seven wetlands and Lamphelpat is one of them, he said.

He said that 1591 water bodies have also been identified for conservation.

Responding to observations made by K Leishiyo and M Rameshwar, Th Biswajit said that carbon emission trading is a very cumbersome process and it requires certification.

Congress MLAs K Ranjit, K Meghachandra and th Lokeshwar raised policy cut motions in the course of discussing the demand.

While discussing a demand of Rs 96,50,65,000 pertaining to Horticulture and Soil Conservation, Horticulture and Soil Conservation Minister Letpao Haokip said that the department has a very big responsibility with regard to the issue of poppy plantation.

There is a plan to provide seeds/saplings of low chilling apple, lemon, mango and other fruits under MIDH to registered farmers.

Moreover, nursery farms have been engaged for plantation of avocado, blueberry and other high value crops but farmers need to apply in online mode, Letpao said.

In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attention to millet, an amount of Rs six crore has been earmarked in the State budget for cultivation of millet in the State, he said.

Th Lokeshwar raised policy cut motion while discussing the demand.