No funds borrowed beyond limit : Khemchand
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 03 2026: Chief Minister Y Khemchand has stated that the Manipur Government has not borrowed money beyond the permissible limit set by the Ministry of Finance for taking up developmental projects, despite the State's difficult economic condition.

He made the statement during the general discussion on the first batch of the Demands for Supplementary Grants on the second day of the ongoing State Assembly session.

Responding to various issues and suggestions raised by Members of the House, Khemchand said that the prevailing law and order situation in Manipur is an outcome of the ongoing crisis.

No funds borrowed beyond limit : Khemchand

The Leader of the House, however, said that the participation of two Kuki MLAs in the Assembly session in Imphal was possible because people have exercised restraint in the interest of restoring peace in Manipur.

Saying that he had taken note of the suggestions made by former Chief Minister and Congress leader O Ibobi, Khemchand agreed that a State with negligible police morale and ineffective administration cannot be considered peaceful or capable of maintaining law and order.

Meitei and Naga police personnel are unable to enter Kangpokpi areas, he said, adding that the situation was already like this when he assumed office as Chief Minister.

He also said that the inability of the State forces to operate freely in any part of the State is unfortunate.

At one time Manipur commandos were feared, he continued and added that the Government is working to strengthen the State forces again.

Efforts are underway to improve the education and health sectors and increase the State's revenue collection, he said.

The Leader of the House informed the Assembly that the Government had so far collected Rs 20 crore in revenue through the Excise Department's liquor-related activities since March 6, 2026 .

Khemchand reiterated that the State Government hadn't borrowed beyond the permissible limit set by the Ministry of Finance, although its borrowing had increased.

The Government is working to ensure that utilisation certificates for Centrally sponsored schemes are submitted on time, he added.

Claiming that the condition of the Imphal-Jiribam road has improved compared to the past, he said around 50 km of the stretch, however, remains in poor condition, while the condition of around 150 km has improved.

The Government is preparing to repair the stretches of the highway in poor condition.

During the discussion, Congress leader O Ibobi claimed that there appeared to be poor financial management on the part of the Government.

He also said that the State Finance Officers appeared not to be adequately informing the Chief Minister about Centrally sponsored schemes.

Saying that utilisation certificates must be submitted on time to secure further funding from the Centre for various departments, Ibobi maintained that a financially constrained State like Manipur needs to manage its finances wisely.

The Congress leader also said that the Manipur Government had missed out on substantial funding under the 15th Finance Commission due to the non-holding of local body elections.

He argued that citing the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for not holding the local body elections is not justified, as there might not be any other State in the country that had deferred such elections on account of the pandemic.

He added that citing the delimitation work as a reason for not holding the local body elections is also unfortunate.

Ibobi stated that the BJP Government, which has been in power since 2017, has been recruiting employees largely on a contractual basis, and urged the Government to undertake regular recruitment for the vacant posts through the Manipur Public Service Commission and Manipur Staff Selection Board transparently.

Hiring employees on a contractual basis left educated youth from less affluent families disappointed as they don't have the resources to lobby for regular employment, Ibobi added.

The Congress leader also said that Manipur's tourism industry has failed due to the law and order situation in the State.

Saying that the State Government needs to place greater emphasis on strengthening the State forces and improving the law and order situation, he maintained that the situation in Manipur could have been better had the State forces been deployed to control the situation at the initial stage of the conflict.

He suggested that the State Government give the State forces a free hand to control the situation.

Ibobi said that the Opposition party supports the passing of the Demands for Grants amounting to Rs 3,861 crore.

Kh Lokeshwar, also a Congress MLA, urged the Chief Minister to hold discussions with bureaucrats on Centrally sponsored schemes and ensure that utilisation certificates are submitted on time to secure further funding from the Centre.

On the health sector, he said that many super-specialist doctors had resigned from JNIMS and started private clinics after the hospital came under the State Government.

He said the lack of modern equipment is one of the major factors behind the resignation of super-specialist doctors and urged the Government to take necessary steps to address the issue.

Lokeshwar urged the Chief Minister to take measures to improve the hospital so that poor people can benefit from its services and consider constructing more district hospitals, as treatment at private hospitals is unaffordable for many people.

Among other issues, the Congress leader also urged the Government to construct rigid pavements without compromising on quality and work towards improving the education system under the School Fagathansi Mission, besides filling vacant teacher posts.

K Meghachandra, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, said that road work programmes had not been prepared for different Constituencies for a long time.

He urged the Government to consult local MLAs while taking up developmental programmes.

He also appealed to the Government not to allow its officials to interfere in the work of MLAs, saying that such interference undermined the dignity of elected representatives.

Saying that the National Highways in Manipur are in poor condition, he urged the Government to take necessary steps to improve them.

He added that Prakash Javadekar, a BJP leader and former Union Minister, had announced in 2016 that the Imphal-Jiribam road would be developed to a standard that would be suitable for landing an aeroplane.

Saying that the BJP has been in power in Manipur since 2017, Meghachandra added that the assurance given by Javadekar to the people of Manipur, however, has not been fulfilled.

Meghachandra also asked where and with whom the Government has been holding peace dialogues, responding to the Chief Minister's statement that the Government has been working to restore peace.

Despite being part of the same Government, one Deputy Chief Minister demanded the resignation of another Deputy Chief Minister in a letter to the Union Home Minister, accusing the latter of inciting unrest, Meghachandra said and claimed that there is no coordination even among the members of the BJP-led Government.

The Congress leader suggested that another Assembly session should be convened to discuss the law and order situation in Manipur in the presence of all MLAs .

He urged the Government to work out a roadmap to bring about lasting peace in the State.

Pointing out that the Government has so far sanctioned Rs 949.63 crore for internally displaced persons (IDPs), he asked whether the funds were utilised properly.

There was a case of spending over Rs 20 lakh on purchasing salt for relief camps, which came to light through a response to an RTI query, he added.

The Congress leader went on to state that the debt and liability of Manipur for 2025-26 stands at a staggering Rs 23,590 crore.

Further, he claimed that funds for many Centrally Sponsored Schemes had to be returned due to the State Government's failure to utilise them within the stipulated period.

Claiming that even funds allocated for the Smart City Project were returned to the Centre, he added that the Government has failed to manage the State's finances properly.

Ukhrul AC MLA Ram Muivah, who also took part in the discussion, said that omitting drains during road construction or repair is one of the major reasons for the breakdown of roads.

He said that equal importance must be given on drainage while constructing roads.

Noting that there are no potholes and no dust on the roads in Meghalaya, he asked why Manipur cannot do the same.

Ram Muivah, meanwhile, said that he did not see more than four or five persons in the officers' gallery, urging the Government to ensure that all officials concerned attend the Assembly session.