Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 07:
To ensure effective administration in the hill districts in the face of the deteriorating law and order situation there, the State Government is studying the possibility of working out a model wherein all the offices of a hill district will be located at the district headquarters.
The model will then be presented to the Prime Minister for inclusion in the PM's package.
The State Government has also taken a serious note of the increasing disturbance given to Government officials that has led to a negative impact on the utilisation of Plan fund as well as the growing culture of officers being summoned by militants to do their biddings.
This has had a direct blow on the developmental works being taken up in Manipur, said a well placed source.
These topics were discussed during a meeting convened by the Chief Minister to discuss the visit of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the utilisation of State Plan funds today.
Attended by Cabinet Ministers, the Chief Secretary, Commissioners and Secretaries, the meeting discussed the visit of Prime Minister which is likely to take place in the last week of November and the points to be included in the memorandum to be submitted to the Centre as well as to seek packages for the development of Manipur, said the source.
Taking the fluid law and order situation in the hill districts into account, the meeting discussed the possibility of setting up all the Government offices in the hill districts at the district headquarters including Jiribam and Kangpokpi.
Such a model will enable the Government officials posted in the hill districts to work more efficiently.
The offices will be located inside a single complex.
The Revenue Department has been instructed to get in touch with the respective Deputy Commissioners to identify the place where the office complex will come up and to submit a report within a week's time.
To provide housing and lodging facilities to employees of the Education Department and Health Department posted in the hill districts, plans are on to construct living quarters as well as hostels.
These suggestions will be incorporated in the packages to be sought from the Prime Minister when he comes visiting.
The meeting also discussed the possibility of setting up a new guest house to accommodate officers who are constantly under threats from militants as the existing guest house at Babupara is hard pressed to accommodate all the officers needing protection.
The NBCC which was entrusted with the task of working out a blue print to develop and preserve Kangla will present its report to the State Government on November 14.Members of the Kangla Fort Board will discuss and decide whether the proposals can be accepted or not, added the source.
Today's meeting also instructed the Power Department to submit the relevant report to the Government on the Loktak Downstream Project.
The IFCD has also been instructed to prepare a report on how to dredge the stretch of Nambul river from Iroishemba to Maharani bridge to check occurrence of floods.
A meeting is also scheduled for November 14 wherein the reports submitted by different departments will be discussed.