Development is a challenge for all : Biren
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 02 2017:
The incumbent Government sees development as a challenge but this challenge is not directed against Congress party or anyone, Chief Minister N Biren stated in the State Assembly today while discussing a demand for Planning Department .
One Member of the House was saying that BJP had declared to accomplish in 15 months what the Congress could not in 15 years and "we would see how BJP fulfil their declaration".
Such statement sounded like teasing and ridiculing the incumbent Government, Biren remarked .
He then appealed to all concerned keep away such statement from the proceedings of the House .
The Government is tackling the issue of development with a challenge .
"We have done so many things during the last four months what could not be done in the past 15 years.
LPG connections and medicines have been provided free of cost, Imphal-Jiribam highway has improved a lot and foundation stone has been laid for RCC Makru bridge", Biren asserted .
Rather than making derisory statements, the matter may be debated point by point .
The budget tabled in the House is a tentative budget and it is not final.
Nonetheless, the Government would look into the suggestion that budget allocation for projects/programmes which should be implemented in hill areas should be done in consultation with the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) .
However, budget allocation for Tribal Affairs and Hills was determined in consultation with HAC, Biren added .
Later, the House passed four different demands amounting to Rs 767,08,78,000 .
The demands were for Agriculture (Rs 215,97,89,000), Administration and Justice (Rs 98,78,06,000), Planning (Rs 426,93,08,000) and Sericulture (Rs 25,40,75,000) .
Opposition Members K Ranjit, Dr Chaltonlien Amo, Th Lokeshore, K Meghachandra, Md Abdul Nasir, Kh Joykisan and Okram Surjakumar raised policy cut motions contending that the Government has failed to protect agricultural land or provide paddy seeds/transplants and fertilizers to farmers; and there is no agriculture policy in hill areas of the State .
Alfred Kanggam Arthur too raised another policy cut motion with regard to the demand for Planning contending that this year's budget was prepared without consulting th HAC.