IMPHAL, February 24: A total of eight demands amounting to Rs 947,35,85,000 was unanimously passed by the House on the 4th day of the ongoing budget session for the current year 2016-17.
The demands include of State Legislature amounting to Rs 54,85,31,000; Rs 7,44,74,000 for Council of Ministers; Rs 66,43,02,000 for Secretariat; Rs 113,59,78,000 for Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development; Rs 34,30,85,000 for Election; Rs 590,27,68,000 for Planning; Rs 58,26,71,000 for Minorities and Other backwards Classes Department and Rs 22,17,76,000 for Information Technology.
The demands were passed following the withdrawal of cut motions moved from the opposition bench after deliberate discussions.
It is pertinent to note that a motion for token cut was moved by Dr I Ibohalbi Singh and K Shyam, MLAs on Demand number 2 Council of Ministers, citing the ministers’ failure to respond to the appointments sought by the members of the House, inability to control the officials and lack of transparency.
Another cut motion was also moved on demands number 3 Secretariat, by MLA L Ibomcha Singh on account of failure to control the foul smell coming from washrooms of secretariat buildings, failure to improve the standard of food and supply of indigenous foods in the two Manipur Bhavan, New Delhi and failure to improve the slow movement of files in the civil secretariat.
Dr I Ibohalbi Singh, Kh Joykishan Singh, MLAs also moved cut motion for the demands for Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development on account of failure to universalise the development of Nagar Panchayats, failure to upgrade Oinam Nagar Panchayat at to the status of Municipality and inability of the Government to function IMC as Corporation.
At the same time, MLA L Ibomcha Singh, also move cut motion on the same demand on account of failure to control artificial flood (water logging) even during slightest rainfall in Imphal area, specially Keishamthong constituency, failure to clear retaining wall along Waishel Maril at Thouda Bhabok Leikai and failure to levy local tazes by the IMC as a source of income.
At the same time, Dr I Ibohalbi Singh also moved cut motion for disapproval of policy on demand number 30 planning, on account of failure to produce Economic Status Report in time, Non involvement of grassroot level institutions in the budget planning and preparation and failure to perform pre-budget and post-budget discussions publicly.
The discussion was also participated by Andro MLA, Th Shyamkumar Singh.