Cabinet decides to shed 501 posts in Commerce & Industries Department

IMPHAL, February 20: In a major development, the government has decided to restructure the Commerce & Industries Department by shedding 501 unsubstantial posts in the department.

The unprecedented decision was taken during a State Cabinet meeting convened today at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat with CM O Ibobi Singh in the chair.

Elaborating about the meeting, CAF & PD and Education minister Moirangthem Okendro who is also the government’s spokesperson informed that the meeting approved to draft Manipur Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council Rules, 2015 in order to facilitate people engaging in small scale factories in the State.

He said that the gathering minutely discussed on the need for restructuring Commerce & Industries Department in sync with the Act East Policy being initiated by the Central government.

In restructuring the department having 1090 sanctioned posts, the government will spend Rs 8, 92, 560 only per year, he added.

The minister envisaged that the ambitious ‘’Make in Manipur’’ campaign launched by the department will facilitate in providing jobs to educated unemployed youths of the State from this year.

Of the 501 posts that will be downsized as per the Cabinet decision, 55 posts are of Class I, 80 of Class II, 278 of Class III and 88 of Class IV. However, the downsizing of the posts will not be done with immediate effect. It will be done in such a way that there will be no replacement of the selected posts once the employees holding the posts retired, Okendro explained.

He further explained that 348 of the 501posts have already been downsized accordingly as the employees who held the posts are pensioners now and that the remaining 153 posts will be assumed as downsized from the day the employees holding the posts got retired.

Many of the employees holding the 153 posts are going to retire by March 31 of this year, March 31 of 2017, March 31 of 2018, March 31 of 2019 and November 30 of 2019, the minister expressed.

The minister further informed that the Cabinet meeting also resolved to shift the Tata Magic/Winger passenger service parking slot situated opposite to Johnstone Higher Secondary School and along the Kangla Mot opposite to IMC, to DM College opposite and south of Kekrupat respectively.

He said that the parking lots at the former areas were allotted to temporarily ease the traffic flow during the construction of Sanjenthong Bridge.

As the four-lane Sanjenthong Bridge has been opened, the earlier parking lots for the Tata Magic/Winger passenger service has to be shifted to soothe the traffic congestion, he asserted.

Minister Okendro concluded that the Cabinet meeting also gave approval to fill up 83 vacant posts in State Transport Department to ease its functioning.