Manipur CM assures improved financial condition

Imphal, Feb 22: Manipur Assembly last night passed Rs 558,28,11,000 unanimously as Supplementary Grants.

Chief Minister O.Ibobi said the financial condition had improved considerably. He further said the academic session of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) will start at the Government Polytechnic Institute soon. The CM added the budgetary deficit will be around Rs 46.05 crores only now.

The Chief Minister had also presented the budget for the financial year on Wednesday. He said the state government has proposed amendment of the Manipur VAT Act this year to include tobacco in the list of taxable items at 12.5 per cent. The government projects a net additional tax revenue of Rs 5.2 crores per annum.

The state government also proposes to reduce the show tax on cinemas from the current high of Rs 100 per show to Rs 10 per show and out of the approved outlay of Rs 1660 crores for Annual Plan 2008-09, Rs 550 crores will be used to take up important and priority projects in the State under Special Plan Assistance (SPA).

The balance Rs 1110 crores of the State Plan outlay is proposed to be spend on other schemes including those covered under Additional Central Assistance for which Rs 470.79 crores is earmarked.

Under the SPA, special provisions have been made for development of physical infrastructure.

Towards this end, construction of roads and bridges has been allocated a sum of Rs 175 crores and construction of infrastructure for district administration Rs 40 crores while another Rs 40 crores has been earmarked for development of health infrastructure including Rs 25 crores allocated for in sectoral allocation, adequate provision has been made to provide State matching share for the Centrally sponsored schemes.

Some major ones are Rs 16.50 cores for the nutrition programme, Rs 5 crores for National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Rs 40 crores for Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP), Rs 22.41 crores for Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) programmes and Rs 9 crores for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP).

UNI