Rs 408 crores supplementary grants sought:Ibobi Singh

Imphal, Mar 19 (UNI) Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, who holds the finance portfolio, sought supplementary grants of Rs 408.19 crores covering 39 demands and three appropriations, in the Manipur Assembly today.

Mr Singh said the supplementary demands were necessitated largely on account of the additional DA payment to employees and increase in plan outlay.

Incidentally, after the election this is the first sitting of the tenth assembly.

The additional demands sought under non-plan was Rs 157 crores. A major portion of this amount was on interest on account of power bond, raising of fifth and sixth Indian Reserve Battalion and Ninth Assembly elections.

The annual plan outlay for 2007-08 was not finalised, Mr Singh said adding that the gross fiscal deficit was Rs 227.92 crores for 2006-07. The target was to achieve a ratio of three per cent by 2008-09, he further observed.

The House, which met for the second day, decided to elect seven members each from the three financial committees on March 22.

UNI