Centre sanctions 100 crore to Manipur

IMPHAL, March 5 (PTI): The Centre today sanctioned a grant of Rs 100 crore to bail out Manipur from its financial crisis, Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam said today. "The Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha informed me today that a sum of Rs 100 crore has been sanctioned to the State which did not have money even to pay salaries and pensions", Koijam told reporters in Delhi. The amount sanctioned would be sufficient for the time being to pay pending salaries and pensions, he said. The Minister of State for Finance S Loken assured that with this amount the Government will be able to pay employees from Wednesday. Talking to this reporter in Imphal the minister said the salary for the month of January will be paid. The State had demanded Rs 200 crore, he said. According to a source in the Finance Department, encashment of bills only for salary and pension for the month of January and arrears would be allowed. The Finance Department issued an order today asking officials of the Department and other to attend office tomorrow, which is holiday, the source said. However, the ban imposed by the RBI on encashment is yet to be lifted, sources said. An official source said the overdraft amount has been reduced to only Rs 10 crore. Hence, the ban will be lifted, he said. Koijam, who also met Defence Minister George Fernandez, said that he had assured him to consider setting up of a Manipur Regiment in a bid to dissuade youths from the path of violence. "If it comes through, thousands of our youth will finds jobs," he said. Koijam said as part of the normal policy, the army would also be conducting special recruitment drives in Imphal, Churachandpur and the Naga dominated Ukhrul area next month. He also met Sports Minister Uma Bharati and sought a special package for Manipur to develop sports facilities in the State.