Ministers unable to discharge duties due to law and order situation

Imphal, May 7 (UNI) The ministers in Manipur were unable to discharge their duties due to the law and order problem in the state, senior Opposition MLA O Joy today said.

Mr Joy of the Manipur People's Party, while discussing on the demands for grants for the 2007-08 financial year, said that while some ministers were not able to discharge their duties well, others were unble to stay at home.

Even the MLAs were not able to contact the ministers he said. Due to this situation, people's grievances could not be addressed.

He appealed to the Ibobi government to ensure that the ministers functioned well and devise a mechanism to address the grievances of the people.

Mr Joy said some ministers who were also involved in contract jobs ahould stop doing so.

Since the government was allegedly protecting corrupt officials, the general administration had collapsed and all important official secrets were revealed by officials, he further claimed.

The House today discussed demand by state legislature amounting to Rs 16.14 crores. Discussions for council of ministers for Rs 2.99 crores, secretariat for Rs 22.73 crores and for finance for Rs 208 crores were held.

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh informed the House during question hour that Rs 48 lakhs were earmarked for construction of National Highway 39 from Pallel to Khunbi of Chandel district. The chief minister replying to another question by Awangbow Newmei said the Imphal Tamenglong road which started in 1982 will be completed by March 2009 next.

Replying to another question it was informed that the 262-km-long National Highway 150 from Churachandpur to Tipaimukh at Churachandpur will be undertaken by the BRTF and 500 people have been involved in the work till now.

During the expansion work on National Highway 39 in Imphal, compensation of about Rs 2.72 crores for land and Rs 5.74 crores for building construction were given and the road widening work will be completed by December, the chief minister said.

UNI