No policy to promote sports amongst youth of hills districts — Manipur Sports minister

Our correspondent

Imphal, Feb. 20 (EMN): Manipur Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Letpao Haokip on Friday informed that two football grounds were constructed in the hill districts of Manipur during the last two years. However, he said there is no particular policy to promote sports amongst the youth of the hills districts.

Haokip was replying to a question raised by NPF MLA Awangbou Newmai during the question and answer hour on the fifth day of the ongoing Budget Session on Friday.

On the proposed sports policy, the minister suggested that those things can be taken up under the existing district youth sports officers in each hill districts.

He said the two football grounds which were constructed in the hill districts are at Makui in Tamenglong district and Leingang ching in Kamjong district, while no ground was constructed in Tamei assembly constituency.

Haokip who also holds Water Resources portfolio informed the House that the department has taken up various pre-monsoon works in and around Imphal Municipality areas.

Highlighting the developmental works that were taken up by the department to control flood in municipality areas, he said 82 construction works for strengthening of the existing embankment was done at the cost of INR 32.11 crore, 9 clearance of floating debris/phumdis works at the cost of INR.1.58 crore, and 34 de-siltation/dredging of major rivers and drains at the cost of INR 8.42 crore.

In reply to a supplementary question raised by Congress MLA Alfred Kanngam Arthur, Education Minister Th Radheshyam said that there is a positive outcome as there is an increase in enrolment in the government schools after the School Fagathansi Mission has been adopted in Manipur.

Under this mission, he informed that about 62 schools belonging to the different assembly constituencies of the state have been selected to be developed as model schools giving special focus to physical and manpower infrastructure.

There is a plan for amalgamation and recruitment of teachers as part of the mission, he said.

Regarding queries related to per capita power consumption of Manipur, Power Minister Th Biswajit informed the House that the per capita power consumption during 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 are 326, 345 and 371 kWh respectively.

 He said for introducing a single-window system as part of Industrial Policy is in the pipeline and there is a possibility for development in agro-allied industries. Responding to MLA K Ranjit Singh’s question about funds allocation to the State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) during April 2017 to January 2020, Biswajit, who is also in charge of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, informed that the department has received about INR 3507.41 lakh.