Imphal, August 05: Members of the State Legislative Assembly today passed a total sum of Rs 82,50,27,000 for three demand grants raised in the ongoing Monsoon Session.

The three demand grants which were passed today are Demand No 27-Election Rs 2,41,09,000, Demand No 36-Minor Irrigation Rs 22,30,48,000 and Demand No 39-Sericulture Dept Rs 57,78,70,000.The three demand grants were unanimously passed by the House after FPM MLA S Ibohal Singh and six Opposition members who had raised a policy cut motion against the three demand grants were withdrawn following a thorough discussion in the House.

Clarifying on the charges made by the Opposition MLAs that 22 Minor Irrigation Schemes were allotted to his constituency Lamshang, Minor Irrigation Minister W Brajabidhu Singh categorically stated that the charges were all false and done with the intention to tarnish his image.

He also added that only three schemes were allotted to his constituency in the new work programme.

He further clarified that the total sum of Rs 58 Lakhs which were withdrawn in March 2003 for implementing 22 Schemes in his constituency were for the schemes which had been taken up by the previous Govt and not by the present SPF Govt.He also asserted that the Govt is putting extra efforts in the Minor Irrigation Dept to enable farmers of the State to produce adequate food stuff through multiple cropping, new technologies etc.

Informing the House that a new "Statistical Cell" has been set up in the Minor Irrigation Dept under a hundred percent Central Govt sponsored programme, he said that six persons have already been employed in the Cell including one to the post of a Deputy Director.

He however informed that the six employees were not fresh appointments but qualified employees of the dept who were redeployed at the Cell after undergoing a DPC.

A Work Monitoring Committee of Minor Irrigation with its Chief Engineer as its Chairman has also been formed, informed Minister W Brajabidhu Singh adding that the said committee will be supervising the quality control and evaluation works of all the projects undertaken by the Minor Irrigation Dept.

A three member "Work Award Committee" headed by the Minor Irrigation Commissioner has also been formed, added the Minister.

In connection with the National Water policy 2002, formation of Water Users Association with local MLAs as its chairman have begun in most of the constituencies, said the Minister and added that the associations would not only create a sense of belongingness among the public to dams and canals built by the dept but would also facilitate the dept while collecting water taxes.

Replying to a query raised by MLA L Ibomcha on the fencing of the Dept's office at Lamphel and construction of a cycle shed in the office's premises, Minister Minor Irrigation said that fencing had to be done as the office's plot was located in a low lying area while the cycleshed was constructed in the interest of the Dept's employees who mostly comes to office on cycles and two wheelers.

Commenting on the Sericulture project, Minister Sericulture Dr M Nara said that the Manipur Sericulture Project which was to be funded by the Japanese Govt was almost cancelled due to some incorrect reports submitted to the Ministry of Textile by some of the State bureaucrats and army officers.