Imphal, March 31: The State Cabinet today discussed and later gave its approval on the sectoral allocation of the State plan amount of Rs 1374.31 crores which is to be expended separately during the financial year 2006-07 beginning tomorrow.

The meeting of the Cabinet presided by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh has also given its approval to hiking amount of the sectoral allocation from the earlier allocation.

Accordingly, the allocation for Science and Technology has been increased to Rs 17 crores as against Rs 7 crores during 2005-06.Along with transferring Khuman Lampak Bus Terminus from Imphal Municipal to Transport Department, the Cabinet has also approved sanctioning of Rs 10 crores for the development of the same.

In the financial year 2005-06, the amount allocated for development of the said bus terminus was a meagre Rs 1 crore.

For the Village and Small Scale Industries, the amount of the sectoral allocation has been increased to Rs 17 crores.

It was only Rs 13 crores in the previous financial year.

The sectoral allocation for LDA has also been hiked from Rs 5.68 crores during 2005-06 to Rs 50.54 crores so that development of Loktak lake and clearing of Phumdis could be stepped up.

In case of Education (S), the amount of the sectoral allocation has been increased from Rs 54 crores to Rs 71 crores, for Art and Culture from Rs 12.5 crores to Rs 27.25 crores and for Technical Education from Rs 1.20 crores to Rs 16.36 crores.

In order to ensure increase in the monthly amount the Old Age Pension scheme given to beneficiaries from Rs 75 to Rs 200, the sectoral allocation has also been hiked from Rs 13 crores to Rs 25 crores this time.

Significantly, sectoral allocation to Sports department under the Central Plan Assistance has been hiked from the previous amount of Rs 8.12 crores to Rs 36.33 crores.

Moreover, the Cabinet has consented to allotting adequate fund so that the ongoing construction works and projects being taken up under Special Plan Assistance could be completed in time.

Some of the notable allocation in this regard include Rs 75 crores for construction of Mini Secretariats in all the district headquarters, Rs 3 crores towards construction of official quarters of Speaker and Deputy Speakers, Rs 2 crores to develop Manipur Bhavan at Guwahati, Rs 8 crores for construction of drainage along the road from Singjamei to Lilong, Rs 10 cores for development of Leishangkhong Hiden.

Over and above this, Rs 11 crores has been allotted for upgradation/development of 11 Higher Secondary Schools, Rs 10 crores for expansion of MU campus, Rs 4 crores for setting up FCS godowns at Tamenglong, Churachandpur, Chandel and Senapati, Rs 75 for Police Station and Police Housing, Rs 10 crores for construction of staff quarters of JN Hospital besides another Rs 9 crores for purchasing the required equipments.

Other sectoral allocation which the Cabinet has given its nod are Rs 20 crores for implementation of Imphal City Water Supply Phase-II, Rs 10 crores for Churachandpur Water Supply Scheme, Rs 10 crores for further expansion of the IT park at Mantripukhri and Rs 16 crores under head of Art and Culture for the purpose of setting up a memorial of King Gambhir Singh, constructing the building of State Kala Akademi, an Archeological Heritage Park inside Kangla along with taking up the construction work for Imphal Art College and Dance College with funding from Central Plan Assistance in the coming financial year.

Today's Cabinet meeting further gave its approval to entrusting BRO with the task for development of the Old Cachar Old which would pass through Bishnupur and Khoupum and extend upto Rengpang under NEC funding.

Taking note of the work load of the Police Housing Corporation, the Cabinet meeting has also approved setting up a Manipur Infrastructure Development Corporation with Chief Secretary as its chairman and Commissioners concerned as members to look after the infrastructural development works in the State.

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