House okays 7 demands for grants
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 28 2022: The Manipur Legislative Assembly today passed seven demands for grants amounting to Rs 2032.70 crore.

The demands for grants which were passed today were Demand No 6-Transport (Rs 58,86,31,000), Demand No 8-PWD (Rs 1026,52,47,000), Demand No 9-IPR (Rs 15,89,83,000), Demand No 16-Cooperation (Rs 38,48,97,000), Demand No 35-Stationery & Printing (Rs 7,74,39,000), Demand No 37-Fisheries (Rs 62,01,79,000) and Demand No 44-Social Welfare (Rs 823,17,17,000).Clarifying to different observations and policy cut motions raised by MLAs in the course of discussing the demand pertaining to PWD, Govindas Konthoujam said that the organisation structure of PWD is quite pathetic today even though it was touted as the 'mother department'.

The two incumbent Chief Engineers would attain the age of superannuation on December 31 this year and January 1 next year, the PWD Minister said.

Govindas added that the Additional CE would also retire in March next year.

An Executive Engineer should serve for at least six years before being promoted to the rank of SE and an SE should serve for at least five years before he/she gets promoted to the rank of Additional CE, he said.

Until and unless PWD is made a strong and vibrant organisation, it would be a big burden for the department to handle major road infrastructure development projects, he continued.

Whereas the House has been working to pass around Rs 1000 crore, only around Rs 220 crore can be utilised through account no 5054.At the same time, there are pending liabilities amounting to Rs 560 crore, Govindas said.

In addition, the department could do very little during the last two years on account of the Covid-19 pandemic and as a result, many projects got delayed, he said.

Nonetheless, the State Government has been working to obtain funds from different sources for development of road infrastructure, he continued.

Govindas informed the House that due preparation is underway to invite tender for Imphal Road Diversion Project after obtaining a loan of Rs 1000 crore from the Asian Development Bank.

Tender for another project under which roads of Imphal city would be developed with rigid pavement at a cost of Rs 1000 crore would be invited by December this year, the Works Minister said.

The State Government has also been planning to take up a 25 Kms long elevated highway project at Imphal at the cost of around Rs 4000 crore, he said.

All these works are externally aided projects.

There is no source for funding such projects except seeking loans from external sources but investment in road infrastructure always guarantees returns on its own, Govindas said.

Replying to questions raised by some Members regarding cancellation of works which amounted to around Rs 900 crore after getting administrative approval, the Works Minister maintained that the works were cancelled as many of them were found to be unreasonable and lacked progress while some others were not started at all.

He claimed that those works were cancelled in the process of regularisation.

At the time, if this amount of around Rs 900 crore is added to the pending liabilities of Rs 560 crore, it would turn out to be a big challenge to the Government he said.

Supplementing the Works Minister, Chief Minister N Biren assured that reasonable works and those which had been executed genuinely would be re-listed in the regularisation and necessary work orders would be issued.

He said that the regularisation process was initiated in order to bring a proper system.

Govindas Konthoujam said that the Government would work to release 20 to 25 per cent of the pending liabilities of Rs 560 crore within the current financial year while 30 per cent would be released in the next financial year.

Replying to a query raised by K Ranjit, the Works Minister stated that the Imphal-Wabagai Lamkhai-Kakching Lamkhai road has been already categorised as a National Highway.

Saying that the Wabagai Lamkhai-Chakpikarong road is a State highway, Govindas informed the House that Rs 2.50 crore has been sanctioned for filling potholes on the road.

Considering its economic importance, the Government has been preparing two DPRs to obtain a fund of around Rs 1700 crore for development of the road on priority bases, Govindas said.

Replying to another question raised by Th Lokeshwar, Govindas said that there is no laboratory in the State as yet to check the quality of bitumen.

He said that a bitumen laboratory would be opened in the State within the current year.

The State Government would also make arrangements for procuring bitumen from PSU's like IOCL and HPCL.

An amount of Rs 1.50 crore has been earmarked for filling potholes on Imphal-Sagolmang road.

Lack of coordination among different departments would be minimised as a coordination committee comprising officers of engineering departments and headed by the Chief Secretary has been constituted at the advice of the Chief Minister, Govindas continued.

Out of the total 1700 Kms of National Highways which run through the State, around 1400 Kms have been taken over by NHIDCL while PWD is in-charge of just around 340 Kms.

Meanwhile, survey is underway for expansion of roads after 79 roads were identified for the same, he said.

Further, another survey is underway to prepare a DPR in consultation with MAHUD Department for development of Imphal city's drainage system, he added.

Clarifying to certain points raised by O Surjakumar while discussing the demand pertaining to IPR, Dr Sapam Ranjan said that a digital media policy of the State would be formulated after studying the models of other States.

The IPR Minister assured that necessary measures would be initiated to address the problem of 'obstructions' posed by unauthorised media personnel to genuine journalists working for print and electronic media.

There was some delay in issuing identity cards to journalists by the DIPR but now most of the ID cards have been delivered.

A direct recruitment was conducted to make up manpower shortage in the directorate and due process is underway to announce the result.

Dr Sapam Ranjan said.

Claiming that payment of pending advertisement bills to different media houses has started, the IPR Minister pledged that maximum efforts would be invested to clear all pending bills.

Among the different measures taken up by DIPR for the journalist fraternity.

Manipur State Journalists' Welfare Scheme, Manipur State Journalists Pension Scheme and the annual grant given to Manipur Press Club can be mentioned, he said.

Although a space has been allotted at Langjing Achouba for development of Manipur Press Park, there are some objections' from the local people, he continued.

Dr Sapam Ranjan said that he would Visit the Manipur Information Centre (MIC), New Delhi to see that it functions properly.

While discussing the demand pertaining to Fishery, H Dingo said that annual consumption of fish in the State is around 56,000 MT while the State can produce only 36,000 MT.

There are reports of using formaldehyde in transporting fishes from other States to Manipur.

As such, the Government has been working to purchase testing kits and verify the reports at the entry points of Mao and Jiribam, the Fishery Minister said.

H Dingo who is also in-charge of Social Welfare Department said that old age pension is distributed to beneficiaries through DBT since 2017.While MLAs K Ranjit.

K Meghachandra, Th Lokeshwar and O Surjakumar raised policy cut motions in the course of discussing the demands.

K Leishiyo, Ram Muivah and M Rameshwar gave observations.

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