House clears six demands for grants amounting to 4486,19,72,000

Imphal, Feb 21
The Manipur Legislative Assembly today passed six demands for grant amounting to Rs. 4486,19,72,000 including Demand No.15 – Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (Rs 86,29,89,000), Demand No. 18 – Animal Husbandry and Veterinary including Dairy Farming (Rs 193,42,90,000), Demand No. 20 – Community and Rural Development (Rs. 2713,83,86,000), Demand No. 22 – Public Health Engineering (Rs. 1016,60,98,000), Demand No. 30 – Planning (Rs. 201,14,84,000) and Demand No. 47 – Minorities and Other Backward Classes and Schedule Castes Department (Rs. 274,87,25,000).
During the demand discussion on the sixth day of the ongoing 10th Session of the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly, leader of the House N. Biren Singh said that the State Government had released Vision Document 2030 with the aim of reducing poverty, income disparity, balanced growth between hills and valley region among others.
He also stated that the per capita income of the State has considerably increased from Rs. 41,573 in 2013-14 to Rs. 65,411 in 2017-18 and the Government has been taking a number of developmental schemes and projects to enhance the economy making its per capita income at par with the National average.
Biren further said the Planning Department has been providing State’s matching share for Centrally sponsored schemes and funds are released to various departments on priority basis.
Regarding co-ordination among departments, he also said that the Government has set up various co-ordination committees at district and state levels and sittings of the committees are held fortnightly and monthly to achieve optimal implementation of developmental works.
Clarifying to motion for disapproval of policy cut raised by Md Abdul Nasir and Md Fajur Rahim on Demand No. 47- Minorities and Other Backward Classes and Schedule Castes Department, Biren who is also in charge of the department said the budgetary allocation of Manipur State WAQF Board is small. However, the Government will try to provide its requirement with additional funds.
He also said that five vacant posts of the board will be filled by March this year.
Regarding those left out from regularization of teachers under the WAQF Board, he said that the government would look into the matter seriously and appropriate action will be taken, if any discrepancies are found.
CAF&PD Minister Karam Shyam informed the House that the National Food Security Act 2013 was implemented in the State on April 2016 and 87% of the population (Census 2011) was targeted to be covered under the Act. As of now 84.14% of the population has been covered.
He further said that proposal for construction of six more FCS godowns were sent to the Central Ministry of which two have been approved and the remaining 4 is under process.
Regarding any grievances in Public Distribution System (PDS), he appealed the people of the State through the House to complaint to the Additional Deputy Commissioners who are the District Grievance Redressal Officers of their respective Districts. Public can also log on to www.pdsmanipur.nic.in for details of PDS in the State.
PHED Minister Losii Dikho said that the Government is taking up steps to deliver safe drinking water to every household in the State by 2024. A mega project under the funding of BRICS and NDB will be implemented for the purpose. Thoubal Dam water supply project will be commissioned by June this year, he added.
Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Minister V Hangkhanlian informed the House that the department has set a target to produce disease free livestock in the State by 2030.
The House also passed the Kangla Fort (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Bill No. 5 of 2020) and the Manipur University of Culture (Amendment) Bill 2020 (Bill N0. 6 of 2020).
During discussion and voting on demands for grants, Opposition MLAs K Ranjit Singh, RK Imo Singh, Alfred Kanngam Arthur, Kh Joykisan Singh, Md Fajur Rahim, Md Abdul Nasir, Th Lokeshwar Singh, K Govindas, Ak Mirabai Devi and Surjakumar Okram raised motion for disapproval of policy cut. DIPR