New Delhi, November 20: Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh urged the North Eastern Council to reassess the requirement of ongoing schemes as per the progress and target set for completion and that sufficient funds were reflected in the budget for timely completion.

Addressing the 53rd NEC meeting held here recently, the Chief Minister cited an example that the project for construction of Nursing School and Hostel at Imphal which was in good progress, completed 70 percent, was being delayed beyond targetted deadline of March 2007 to 2008-09, as the fund allocation for the year 2006-07 and proposed allocation for 2007-08 were insufficient.

He also expressed the apprehension for the preservation of Loktak lake and other projects like Mahadev-Tolloi Road in the same situation.

Emphasizing the importance of Old Cachar Road from Bishnupur to Rengpang via Khoupum having a total length of 93 Kms, Ibobi made pressure on NEC for upgradation of the road as NH-53 (A).

The State Government had proposed for providing Rs.86 crores for this project during Eleventh Five Year Plan, he added.

He also stressed the importance of community participation and involvement for effective implementation of schemes.

He cited the example on NER Community Resource Management Programme, an externally funded project implemented by NEC during Tenth Plan in Manipur, Meghalaya and Assam, having active private participation in implementation of the programme.

Chief Minister proposed expansion of this programme to all the districts of Manipur during the 11th Plan.

Referring to North East Bamboo Mission, he said that the State Government had proposed for establishment of Bamboo Technology Park at Jiribam and requested NEC to provide 40 percent of the cost, remaining 20 percent to be provided by the entrepreneur and 40 percent by NMBA.

He also mentioned the State Government's proposal for establishment of Food Park, Phase II at Nilakuthi for consideration under the 11th Plan of NEC.

Regarding handing over of NEC funded autonomous institutions like Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) to the concerned Central Ministries, the Chief Minister said that the State Government was agreeable to the suggestion provided the existing administrative mechanism was retained and the regional character of the prestigious assets created by the NEC in the realm of health care service, medical education and research was not diluted.

This would enable the NEC to redeploy recurring amount spent on RIMS for funding other capital intensive schemes, he added.

Ibobi reiterated the State Government's proposal in the last NEC meeting for upgradation of RIMS to the status of AIIMS for the benefit of the people of the North Eastern States and urged the Ministry of DoNER to consider the project for upgradation of RIMS, Phase II on priority.

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