Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 16:
The Khadi and Village Industries Board being an autonomous body, there cannot be any sort of interference in its functioning by the Industries Minister; Commerce & Industries Minister N Mangi has clarified while talking to mediapersons at his office chamber located in the New Secretariat building today.
Reacting to the allegation of misuse of fund and undue interference in the functioning of the Board, the Minister asserted that it is the Chairman who is handling all the activities of the Board.
The only connection with the Industries Minister and the Board is during the Assembly sitting.
Otherwise the Industries Minister cannot interference in the activities of the Board, he maintained.
The Minister informed that MLA A Aza is the chairman of the Board and Joint Secretary Finance (Apex), Director of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Director of Commerce and Industries are other members of the Board.
Disclosing that Industries Department had sanctioned an amount of Rs 71 lakh as grant-in-aid to Khadi and Village Industries Board last year, the Minister said that out of the total amount, Rs 15 lakhs are plan money while the remaining Rs 51 lakhs are non-plan amount.
As for the current financial year, a total of Rs 61 lakhs including Rs 56 lakhs as non-plan and another Rs 5 lakhs as plan amount has been included in the budget for the Board.