Manipur Assembly session in December

IMPHAL, Nov 23 – The winter session of the Manipur Assembly is likely to be held on December 22.

The decision was taken by the Manipur Cabinet with the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh in the chair recently. The seating is likely to last two days.

For the time being there is no proposal for electing the Speaker of the Assembly. The Deputy Speaker Kh Lokeshwor has been presently looking after the post after Speaker Dr Sapam Budhichandra passed away following prolonged illness.

Meanwhile, even though consumers get power for barely five hours a day, the Cabinet meeting on Friday also decided to hike the power charges by 30 per cent.

Spokesperson of the ruling Secular Progressive Front Ministry and Irrigation and Flood Control Minister N Biren said that the Cabinet has decided to hike the power charge from the existing rate citing that the rate had remained un-revised for the last many years.

The Government took the decision taking into account the rate of tax collected in the neighbouring States of Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam. As per the Cabinet decision the existing per unit power consumption charge of Rs 2.60 will be increased to Rs 3.25 with certain relaxation to heavy power consumers. For them, the rate will be half the normal charge, he said claiming that Mizoram State had already hiked the rate from Rs1.45 to Rs1.65.

Considering the present law and order scnario the cabinet also decided to extend imposition of disturbed area act for a year. The Cabinet discussed the disturbed area status excluding seven Assembly constituencies under Imphal Municipal Council where the Act was lifted in 2004 following a massive public outcry.

The Cabinet also took a decision to compensate the losses of properties damaged during the protest against the holding of elections to the Autonomous District Council (ADC)s in the hill districts in May and June last.