Joykisan proposes MLA fund-cut to curb third wave
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 25 2021: Expressing concern over the imminent threat of the 3rd wave of Covid-19, opposition member Kh Joykisan has proposed in the assembly on Tuesday for res -ervation of Rs 50 lakh from each of the MLAs' local area development fund (MLALADF) towards fighting the pandemic effectively and also to ease financial burden besetting the government.

During zero hour of Tuesday's sitting ofthe legislative assembly, the Thangmeiband MLA opined that all the MLAs have responsibilities in the collective fight against the pandemic and deducting Rs 50 lakh out of the yearly allotment of Rs 2 crore local area development fund of all the MLAs can make a sizeable contribution towards fighting the pandemic.

He is ready to shell out the said amount, Joykisan said while urging the government to make an extraordinary rule for allowing the same.

The public will also welcome the step, he added.

Most of the people of the state are poor families without much savings and many of them are facing the situation of selling or mortgaging their properties including homestead land to bear medical expense on treatment family members infected by Covid-19.Keeping in view of the abject situation of the public, it would be better if the government controls the private hospitals and provides treatment free of cost to the public for Covid-19 by paying the charge from the state exchequer, Joykisan maintained.

Nambol MLA N Loken drew attention of the House to release the pisciculture fund sanctioned by the Centre through NCDC before it gets lapsed and had to be returned to the Centre.

The fund was sanctioned specifically for farmers' societies in Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur and Kakching districts and the government had already given assurance of releasing it in March this year.

Releasing the fund in time would boost production of fish farms, he said.

Loken also drew attention of the House to make a special arrangement for poor families, who could not link their Aadhaar card with ration card, so that they could get assistance under PMGKAY during the Covid-19 pandemic.

While Congress MLA Th Lokesh-war also raised the same issue, Patsoi representative Ak Mirabai drew attention of the House to the need for amending the job profile of drivers into three-tier system with seniority arrangements.

She also urged the government to increase their grade pay while recalling how the Speaker of the House in an earlier session had advised the government to settle the matter in the cabinet meeting.

Meanwhile, Kakching MLA Rameshwar said that Kakching Municipal Council has only 16 staff against sanctioned post of 30 and it resulted in delaying submission of utilisation certificate for centrally sponsored schemes.

He drew attention of the House for filling up the vacant posts.

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