Delhi team satisfied with work progress
SPF gets rare pat on the back
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 07 2011: The earlier situation where almost all projects dragged on for years, sometimes taking a decade or so in completing them has changed significantly with the setting up of a stable Government under Chief Minister Okram Ibobi.

Now many projects taken up in Manipur have been making visible progress, remarked DoNER Secretary Jayanti Chandra.

The DoNER Secretary, after inspecting several projects taken up under NLCPR and Special Plan Assistance (SPA), held a meeting with relevant State Government officials.

Later talking to The Sangai Express, Jayanti Chandra stated that many projects have been making remarkable progress under the SPF Government.

Jayanti Chandra arrived at Imphal together with Director, Ministry of Finance Vandita Kaul yesterday for a first hand assessment of the projects being implemented in the State.

The DoNER official stated that many projects have been making visible progress in the last two years following the coming of a stable Government in the State.

Talking about the review meeting held in the conference hall of Old Secretariat which was presided by her and attended by the Chief Secretary and other State Government officials, Jayanti Chandra said that she was satisfied with the progress reports.

Jayanti Chandra with DS Poonia after a meeting

Noting that during 2004-05, many projects implemented by the State Government could make little progress, She further remarked that capacity of the officials handling these projects has been enhanced considerably.

Informing that the DoNER Ministry sanctioned Rs 96.33 crores during the last fiscal for taking up different projects to the Government of Manipur, Jayanti Chandra said that Rs 8.5 crores have been released for the first two months have been released for the first two months of the current financial year.

As against 135 projects sponsored by the Ministry of DoNER in Manipur since 2000 for which Rs 1119 crores were sanctioned, 46 projects have been completed at the total cost of Rs 333 crores.

So far, Rs 813 crores have been released, she added.

The State Government is currently executing 88 projects, the total cost of which is Rs 789 crores.

Out of these, some of the projects have been completed except the accounting part, she said.

On being asked if there is any project in the pipeline, the DoNER Secretary informed that the Ministry has been approached for constructing buildings of 300 Primary Schools under ADCs on priority basis.

However, due processes has not been taken up for putting the proposal into action.

On the other hand, the Union Home Ministry has sanctioned certain amount of fund to the State Government for launching helicopter service in Manipur.

But the same initiative has been put under serious review following the chopper crash in Arunachal Pradesh recently.

Helicopter service would be launched in Manipur once the Director General of Civil Aviation issues the necessary certificate.

Notably, the State Government was proposing helicopter service on Imphal-Moreh, Imphal-Tamenglong and Imphal-Jiribam routes.

Other than Jayanti Chandra, the other members of the team left Imphal today after inspecting Capital project, JNIMS and Maphou Dam.