Correspondent
IMPHAL, MAY 29: Manipur government on Friday decided to reduce the size of VIP convoy following a security review, start ‘work from home’, freeze government funded foreign travel, and take steps to reduce non-essential government expenditure.
The decision was taken during a state cabinet meeting held under the chair of chief minister Y Khemchand Singh at the newly shifted chief minister’s secretariat at the Manipur Secretariat in Imphal East’s Mantripukhri.
The cabinet meeting commenced at 11 am deliberated on various issues related to different departments.
The cabinet also discussed the matters related to the Prime Minister’s recent appeal for various steps to be taken by the state governments and citizens of the country in view of the global challenges at present.
“The state cabinet decided to implement the various points mentioned in the appeal of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, including reducing the size of VIP convoy following a security review, start ‘work from home’, freeze Government funded foreign travel, and take steps to reduce non-essential Government expenditure,” the official statement read.
The cabinet also approved the filling up of 173 posts of Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) in the state family welfare department, with funding from the Central government.
It also decided to approve an age relaxation of two years for all recruitments yet to be notified by state government departments. The cabinet also approved the rates of compensation related to land acquisition for expansion of the Imphal – Jiribam and Imphal – Dimapur national highways. The decisions will lead to faster implementation and timely completion of these projects and will greatly benefit the state, the official statement added.
The cabinet further approved the rationalization of posts under the Manipur State Power Company Limited (MSPCL) so that the employees can have adequate promotional avenues.
The cabinet also approved the extension of the critical ‘Manipur Water Supply Project’ funded by the New Development Bank (NDB) while approving a proposal of the state tourism department for implementation of the ‘Loktak Experience Project’ which will develop Loktak as an iconic tourist destination.