Rs 19 cr for 7 new districts
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 10 2017: The tentative budget allocation for the financial year 2017-18 has been revised and the budget allocated to 17 different Departments has changed while Rs 19 crore has been set aside to develop infrastructure in the 7 new districts .

According to an official source, the tentative budget allocation was revised due to the emergency and some shift in the priority tasks of the 17 Departments .

As a result of the revision, some of the budgets allocated to some Departments have increased while others have decreased .

The total amount of budget allocated to the seven Departments have increased from Rs 2009.26 crore to Rs 2101.2369 crore .

The extra funds were deducted from Special Development Fund (SDF) and added to the total funds for the Departments .

It pointed out that Rs 10 crore would be sanctioned for the construction of the Civil Secretariat under the Public Works and Rs 19 crore have also been sanctioned for the development of infrastructure in the newly formed seven districts of the State, as a part of the revised tentative budget allocation .

According to the source, the budget for Forest and Wildlife has been increased from Rs 86.51 crore to Rs 103.3738 crore, while that of Minor Irrigation has decreased from Rs 142.13 crore to Rs 132.13 crore .

IFCD has increased from Rs 12.1644 crore to Rs 33.2859 crore, roads and bridges has increased from Rs 367 crore to Rs 397 crore, Planning has decreased from Rs 104.2910 crore to Rs 96.39 crore, Tourism decreased from Rs 32.90 crore to Rs 30.40 crore, Higher Education increased from Rs 37.11 crore to Rs 38.35 crore, School Education increased from Rs 389.51 crore to Rs 401.51 crore, SCERT increased from Rs 17.41 crore to Rs 18.15 crore, Sports decreased from Rs 71.20 crore to Rs 50.45 crore, Art and Culture increased from Rs 15 crore to Rs 15.08 crore, Medical and Public Health from Rs 330.79 crore to Rs 328.29 crore, Rental Housing from Rs 3 crore to Rs 8 crore, MAHUD from Rs 120.19 crore to Rs 158.61 crore while that of Manipur Development Society has not changed from Rs 10 crore .

Social Security and Social Welfare has increased from Rs 206.04 crore to Rs 206.19 crore and that of Public Works has increased from Rs 64 crore to Rs 74 crore .

It explained that Rs 19 crore were added to the tentative budget allocation for Public Works for the development of the seven new districts .

"Rs 5 crore each are allocated for Kakching, Kamjong and Noney and Rs 1 crore each for Tengnoupal, Kangpokpi, Pherzawl and Jiribam.

An extra Rs 10 crore have also been added to the tentative budget allocation for the construction and improvement of SDO and BDO offices at Haochong sub division under Noney district", it added .

It may be mentioned that seven new districts were added to the already existing nine districts of the State by a Cabinet decision of the then Congress Government on December 8, 2016 and a gazette notification was issued the next day .

Although the United Naga Council has been vehemently demanding that the decision be rolled back, Chief Minister N Biren Singh, on an inspection trip to flood affected areas yesterday said that there are no plans or talks to roll back the creation of the seven districts .

Pointing out the positive side of the creation of the new districts, another source pointed out that earlier, the people of Jiribam had to travel around 222 kilometres to Imphal East for any official works thus causing huge inconveniences to the people.

The people of Jiribam have also been pressuring the State Government to upgrade Jiribam to a district, it added .

It also explained that Kangpokpi was also upgraded to a district for administrative conveniences .

Churachandpur district is the biggest district in the State and thus Pherzawl ADC was upgraded to a district for administrative conveniences.

Ukhrul is the second largest district and taking into account the conveniences of the people living further in the district, Kamjong district was created.

Noney district was also created to solve the inconveniences at the third largest district, Tamenglong, it added .

It further explained that Tengnoupal and Kakching districts were also created with the same principles namely administrative conveniences and comfort for the people.

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