Biren meets Modi

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, June 16, 2019: Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman separately on Saturday and apprised them of the financial situation of the state, resulting from the ban imposed by the RBI on drawals from the Treasury.

He requested them that the state government of Manipur may be given the flexibility to decide the quantum of borrowings under Open Market Borrowings within the overall ceiling fixed by the Finance Ministry, said a press statement released by chief minister’s secretariat on Sunday.

Biren requested to allow additional borrowing within the overall ceiling allowed for the state of Manipur. The release of state share of Central taxes is due around June, 21.

He requested them to advance the release by few days so as to come out of the overdraft. Prime Minister and finance minister assured the chief minister that they will look into both these demands of the state government positively, and also urged that Manipur should focus on additional resource mobilisation as well as expenditure cuts, so as to arrive at a sustainable solution to this problem, the statement said.

Biren apprised Prime Minister of the state government’s programmes such as Go to Hills. Under the initiative, a Cabinet meeting was held in Ukhrul on June 4. Various schemes implemented in the district were also reviewed exhaustively. The visiting team led by N. Biren Singh returned back to Imphal the next day after a night halt. The improvement in law and order situation was apprised, with women vendors in the Ima Market opening till late night. Peace and harmony has returned to the state, with reduction in bandhs and blockades, which were a regular feature in the past. He also apprised the Prime Minister of the Manipur Startup initiatives through which entrepreneurs and unemployed youth were extended assistance for promoting their startups through subsidised loans. He also discussed a number of upcoming big projects in the state and sought assistance for expediting sanction of these projects, it added.

The chief minister also met defence minister Rajnath Singh the same day, and apprised him that the army is in possession of 66.91 acres of land at Koirengei Old Airfield. He was briefed that with rapid urbanisation and construction of state Capital complex in and around Koirengei area of Imphal city, which includes state Assembly, High Court complex and civil secretariat, the state government desires to restore the Koirengei Old Airfield land for expansion of state Capital complex on the outskirts of Imphal City and other government facilities. The land is no longer required by the defence authorities for the purpose for which it was originally envisaged. It was emphasized that the land is located in a highly populated area and is better suited to meet the needs of growing Imphal city, rather than that of an airfield. Defence minister assured that he will look into the matter, said the statement.

Biren also attended the fifth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog held at Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre in Delhi on Saturday. He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for making the state a partner in development through the NITI Aayog platform. In the meeting, Biren presented a report on the successful coverage of all revenue villages in the state under the Go to Village initiative for delivering public service at people’s doorsteps. The deficit in the pre-monsoon rainfall and initiatives taken for rainwater harvesting in the state were highlighted, including amendments in building bye-laws which has now made provision of rainwater harvesting structures mandatory in all new urban buildings. With the possibility of drought looming large, the chief minister sought enhanced allocation under MGNREGS to provide adequate employment support for rural people. The achievements and challenges in meeting targets in implementation of various schemes in Manipur’s aspirational district Chandel (including Tengnoupal district) were exhaustively placed before the Governing Council. To comprehensively develop these districts, Biren sought assistance for providing health infrastructure, residential schools, transit hostels for teachers, alternative livelihood measures for rehabilitation of poppy cultivators, road connectivity, mobile network, internet facilities and for enabling border trade between Molcham in India and Bokan in Myanmar.