Imphal: Manipur Assembly on Wednesday discussed and passed demands for grants for five departments.
The demands were Rs 378 crore for health, Rs 173 crore for environment and forest, Rs 212 crore for community development, Rs 181 crore for public health engineering and Rs 14 crore for labour and employment.
Opposition members appealed to the government to improve health, water sectors in the interest of the people. L Ibomcha said ambulance services should be started by the hospitals and the services if properly implemented would be self reliant.
All the private clinics, hospitals should be monitored regularly. One time issuing of licence is not the solution he added.
Ibomcha pointed out that for the last one decade he has been raising the issue of unavailability of drinking water but there is no improvement. Consumers do not get bills and where there is no water supply bills are issued he said. There is shortage of about 233 staff in the water supply department he further said. Government should dig up ponds and implement water harvesting programmes he said.
Dr I Ibohalbi said roads were not properly maintained even where there are large numbers of tourists. There is a decline in prevalence of HIV and AIDS, however rate of death due to Hepatitis C is increasing. Government should frame policies to provide assistance to people living with AIDS to fight Hep C related diseases he said.
Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh said his government has been trying to improve conditions of the people. Special focus is given to street vendors however the matter was sensitive and women vendors do not agree to the proposals made by the government. It is hard to convince the vendors not to sell products in the busy city areas he said.
A proposal has been sent to the centre to help in constructing a market complex for women in the city areas, the CM said. At Lamphel area government is also considering of constructing mini sheds for women vendors he added.
Ngamthang Haokip, Minister Irrigation said the Thoubal multipurpose project started in 1977 at an estimated cost of Rs 47 crore however in 2011 it was estimated at Rs 1387 crore. (UNI)