Imphal: Governor Najma Heptulla addressed the 12th Session of the 11th Manipur Assembly which began Wednesday. The budget session will have thirteen sittings which will continue till February 22, 2021. In her address on the first day of the session, the Governor highlighted the achievements and activities of the State government.
The State Government has been making proactive efforts to prevent and combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The Governor stated that shortly after the outbreak, all passengers were screened at Imphal Airport, at surface entry points of Mao and Jiribam and a 24×7 control room number was activated to combat the pandemic. Border gates were closed at Indo-Myanmar international borders at Moreh, Tusom, Nambisha & Behiang.
Concerted efforts were undertaken by the government with the setting up of Isolation Wards, Quarantine Centres, Covid Care Centres and Dedicated COVID-19 Treatment Blocks, Institutional (Government) Quarantine Centres, Community Quarantine Centres, Paid Quarantine Centres and Home Quarantine.
The Government made all out efforts to ensure that there was no shortage of essential supplies. Ministers were appointed as district in-charge to supervise various activities for combating COVID-19 and ensuring supplies of essential commodities among others. Under the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, dal and additional rice were provided free of cost to beneficiaries under AAY and PHH households during the pandemic.
Chief Minister’s COVID-19 Relief Fund was also launched which received a total donation of over Rs. 24 crore. State Government employees donated one day’s salary to the Relief Fund. Rs. 25 Lakhs under MLA-LAD Scheme were earmarked for COVID-19 related activities in each Assembly Constituency.
The Government evacuated over 23,000 stranded people through 24 Shramik Trains. Incentives at the rate of Rs. 1000 and Rs. 500 each and free ration were provided to Drivers and Handymen of trucks bringing various goods, oil tankers and LPG bullets. During lockdown, 52,605 labour card holders were given financial assistance of Rs. 1000/- each through DBT. Over Rs. 9 crore was released from State Disaster Relief Fund to combat the situation in the wake of the pandemic.
To help out street vendors affected by the pandemic, under the Prime Minister’s Street Vendor’s Atma Nirbhar Nidhi Scheme, loans were disbursed to 3,799 street vendors which have earned the State No. 1 ranking among Hilly Region and North Eastern States category for highest number of loans disbursed till date under the scheme. Corpus fund of Rs. 3 crore was created under “Market Intervention Scheme” for procuring surplus marketable produces to reduce distress sale during the pandemic. As necessitated by the School Lockdown due to COVID pandemic, digital and e-learning platforms were adopted. The e-content is now available in a newly developed App called “Lairik”.
COVID-19 vaccination for Manipur was taken up at 10 session sites, targeting over 9600 healthcare workers for the first day. This vaccine had undergone the required 3 levels of human trials and has been proven in terms of both its efficacy and immunogenicity. The vaccine has been declared safe, immunogenic and efficacious by the Drugs Controller General of India. A total of 1,02,000 doses of Covishield vaccine has reached the State. Manipur has already prepared 246 session sites spread out across all the 16 Districts for the COVID vaccination. All sites have been checked through Dry Runs and the facilities for online & offline submission of data has been made.
On Law and Order and Justice Delivery, the Governor said government has been constantly working to improve the overall security scenario of the State. The State was recently awarded as the most improved small state under the category for ‘overall’ and ‘law and order’ by a reputed media organization. The improvement in law & order has also enabled the State to focus on development. Manipur is the most innovative state amongst North Eastern States as per India Innovation Index, 2020, released by NITI Aayog. Nongpok Sekmai Police Station was awarded the “Best Police Station” by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Construction of a 100 bedded barrack at MPTC and Model Police Station Grade-III at Porompat were completed. Construction of a 40 bedded barrack each for Tengnoupal and Kakching District Police are in progress. New State Police Headquarter Building will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 50 crore. With State Budget, 15 Toyota Innova Crysta for patrol duties were procured. Under Nirbhaya Fund, a Control Room for Emergency Response Support System was established.
Under the Government’s initiative on “War against Drugs”, 258 drug-related cases were registered during the year and 357 persons arrested. Large quantities of drugs like heroin powder and WY tablets were seized and over 2,800 acres of poppy plantation destroyed. During the year, 184 sensitive cases against women and children and another 90 cases under POCSO Act were registered. 14 new Fire Sub-Stations are being established at an estimated cost of over Rs.279 Crore.
The Governor stated that although challenges posed by the Pandemic on Public Finances have been huge, the Government has made all possible efforts to reduce its negative impact. Adequate funds have been provided for critical and important areas while rationalising expenditure in others. Despite pandemic challenges, the Government has been able to increase Central grants through Centrally Sponsored Schemes. As on December 31, 2020, such grants received amounted to over Rs.2,900 cr as against about Rs2,300 cr received as on December 31, 2019. Further, in spite of reduced receipts, the State has been in Overdraft for only 12 days as on 31stDecember, 2020.
Various projects with funding from North Eastern Council are being taken up. Improvement of Bishnupur – Nungba Road and Inter-State Truck Terminus at Sekmai will be completed soon. Water supply projects at Laisoipat, Yennapat and Awangsoi have been completed. Construction of mini-stadium and indoor stadium at Thoubal District was completed. Two new projects for promotion of small holder value chain system for organic horticulture crops and improvement of road from Koirengei to Sangakpham were sanctioned for a total of over Rs 12 Crore. Construction of Tribal Chief Guest House at Palace Compound at a cost of over Rs 7 Crore is being taken up.
Under North East Special Infrastructure Development Schemes, 9 projects worth over Rs 203 crore were sanctioned. Out of these, Water Supply Distribution Network project for Churachandpur was completed. District Hospital, Imphal West at Mayang Imphal at an estimated cost of Rs.65 crore was approved for sanction during the current year. Out of six projects worth about Rs.125 crore sanctioned under Social and Infrastructure Development Fund to bridge infrastructure gaps in border areas, four projects, including construction of a bridge across Tuilak River, have been completed.
Speaking on education sector, Dr Najma Heptulla said ever since the State started “School Faghathanshi Mission”, there has been a marked increase in student enrolment in the selected schools, besides improvement in physical infrastructures. To encourage children to read, 153 stories were developed into comic text books, relatable to local culture and context. E-textbooks, prepared for the first time in the State, are made available in a Mobile app called “BOSEM e-Book”. In collaboration with All India Radio, dramas based on Educational Programme were produced to provide distance learning to students of Class VI to XII through radio broadcasting.
To motivate Government School Students, incentive awards were given to those who excelled in Class 10 and 12 examinations conducted by BOSEM and COHSEM. A “Task Force” had also been constituted to frame a realistic roadmap for implementation of National Education Policy, 2020. Under RUSA 2.0, construction of a 100 bedded Girl’s hostel in G.P Women’s College will be started. 5 Colleges are being upgraded to Model Degree Colleges. With the establishment of Dhanamanjuri University, 20 new post graduate courses have been opened.
Highlighting on the Power Sector, Governor said Government is committed to ensure 24×7 quality and reliable electric supply to all. With the charging of the 400kV Silchar-Imphal D/C transmission line, the Available Transmission Capacity of the interstate transmission line has been enhanced to cater to the power requirement of the State for the next 10 to 15 years.
In the past year, 5 (Five) 33/11kV sub-stations at Wangoi, Yairipok, Porompat, Tuliphai and Sanjenbam were completed. 143MVA of transformation capacity was also added under North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project with the augmentation of 21(Twenty-one) 33/11 kV sub-stations. At present, 29 (Twenty-Nine) new 33/11 kV sub-stations and 2 (Two) new 132/33 kV sub-stations are also being implemented. For safe and secure grid operation and real time power supply management, a 2,000 km wide network of Fiber Optics cable is being laid across the State.
In all 516 Distribution Transformers, 335 km of High-tension Lines and 1,123 km of Low-Tension lines covering 1,573 habitations were added under SAUBHAGYA and DDUGJY. 11,000 LED solar street lighting systems were installed during the year. Installation of 9,000 more similar lights will be completed soon. State has decided to set up a 100 MW capacity solar power plant on 600 acres of land identified at Jiribam.
On connectivity, she said 13 Road Works measuring a total length of over 583 km at the cost of about Rs. 1063 crore for National Highways were sanctioned. Four major works at a total cost of over Rs 1260 crore and three restoration works at a cost of Rs. 287.00 crore are being implemented. Thirteen road works for a total length of over 145 km at the cost of over Rs. 131 crore under the “Central Road Infrastructure Fund” were approved. Under “Inter State Connectivity Scheme” the work for construction of 32.31 km road from Jiribam to Manipur and Mizoram Border Section via Tipaimukh under Phase-I was approved at a cost of over Rs. 114 crore.
Later in the session, a Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s address was moved by P Sharatchandra Singh MLA which was seconded by Sapam Ranjan Singh, MLA. The Governor’s address will be discussed on Thursday, February 4, 2021.
