Newmai News Network
Imphal | February 21
On the sixth day of the ongoing tenth session of the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly session, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that the State GST (SGST) collection is going good with a total collection of Rs 640.74 crores (till January this year) for this fiscal year and is most likely to reach the target of Rs 861.87 crores.
During the Question Hour, while addressing to a response raised by Opposition MLA O Surjakumar Singh, the chief minister said that the target of Rs 662.09 crores for the previous year was outreached as the state government managed to collect Rs 694.70 crores that year. On being asked about the amount of compensation received by the state so far from the Central Government, Biren replied that the state government has not received any compensation from the Central government and there is no pending amount.
Meanwhile, responding to Congress MLA Kh Joykishan Singh, the chief minister said the state government is considering legalization of cannabis plantation, and added, "If implemented, the purpose will be solely for medicinal purposes and earning more revenue to the state". The government however will not take any hasty decisions in this matter, and will carefully measure the pros and cons before coming to a conclusion, he also said.
Regarding the mass drive to destroy poppy plantation, 1952 acres of illicit poppy cultivation in seven districts were destroyed (during September 2019 to February 16, 2020) jointly by the police and other agencies, and 32 cases have been registered in this connection, he added.
Meanwhile, the state government is working seriously to bring out the truth in the infamous incident of alleged molestation of a lady IPS officer by a personnel of Central forces at a check post along Imphal-Moreh Road. Biren said that the government has been taking the incident seriously and the matter has been discussed in the cabinet meeting too. A case was filed by the lady officer in Tengnoupal PS on 19/01/2020 which is registered as FIR No. 12 (1) 2020/ Moreh PS. The case is currently under investigation, a DIPR report said.
