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IMPHAL, February 25
[dropcap]E[/dropcap]quitable and inclusive developments with secular ideals have been the guiding values of the government, Manipur Governor Dr Krishan Kant Paul said today.
In his address in the house of the state Assembly which the session commenced today, the Governor further asserted that his government was pursuing developments of the people in both hill and valley areas of the state in a sustainable way. The address in which the Governor greeted with best wishes to the people of Manipur for a peaceful, prosperous and productive 2015 stated that the state government was striving for all round development and delivery of good governance for the welfare of the people.
While highlighting various achievements of the government, Paul asserted that state’s finance was stabilizing slowly after a period of acute resource constraints.
The state, in the last few years, witnessed a great change in development of several infrastructures. In the current year, the state has a tentative plan size of Rs 3200 crore, he informed the house, adding that this includes Rs 450 crore under SPA and Rs 800 crore under SCA.
Highlighting the achievements of the state government, the Governor asserted that the state police have been able to keep “the law and order situation under control and maintain public order despite working in an extremely sensitive security environment.”
The police have also able to achieve commendable results on the counter insurgency front despite the confronting various problems, which are both convoluted and serious in nature, compounded by shortage of man-power, infrastructural and other logistic constraints.
As part of government’s effort to bring about a balance development, a total amount of Rs 259.31 crore was provided during 2014-15 fiscal year to the state tribal affairs and hills for implementation of various developmental schemes.
The amount included funds for assisting 3497 families under Scheduled Tribe category and 200 families of Scheduled Caste category under various income generating programmes.
The government is gearing up to implement the National Food Security Act, 2013, the Governor said, adding that the scheme projected benefiting to a total of 24.84 lakh which is 87% of the total population of the state as per 2011 census in Manipur.
Maintaining that his government was continued to give thrust to school education, Paul further said that government was providing “affordable quality school education to all children of school going age group of the state.”
However, the Governor expressed his concern over the shortcomings of the sportspersons of the state while stressing the need for a fresh look into the matter for a better performance in next National Games to be held in Goa.
“In the recently concluded 35th National Games, Manipur stood seventh in the gold medal tally. This is a decline in the performance from the previous two editions where Manipur stood second,” he said.
Manipur had stood 7th position in the medal tally of the recently concluded 35th National Games in Kerala.
In order to achieve this broad objective, several initiatives were taken up during the current financial year in continuation of the initiatives which were taken in the preceding years, he went on to maintain.
After the Governor’s address, the 10th session of the tenth Manipur Legislative Assembly which was commenced today took an obituary reference.
Speaker Th Lokeshwor moved the obituary reference to the house while informing that a former secretary of the Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat Thokchom Chourajit Singh has passed away.
The late former secretary, who began his service after joining in 1965 in the capacity of a reporter held the post of secretary the secretariat from 2000 to 2006 and was demise on January 6, 2015.
Taking part in the discussion session of the obituary reference, leader of the house chief minister O Ibobi Singh recalled the late secretary and said that it was saddened when Chourajit expired suddenly because of an illness.
He had a commendable contribution in the Assembly Secretariat with his immense experience in legislature, the chief minister added.
After members of the house, TN Haokip, AK Mirabai (minister of social welfare), both from ruling bench and Th Shyamkumar from opposition bench, the house observed a two-minute silent as mark of respect to the departed soul of the former secretary.
The session which will have a total of five sittings, the chief minister who also holds the finance portfolio presented a tentative budget estimate of the state for the next fiscal year, 2015-16 before concluding today’s session.
