Newmai News Network Imphal | March 24 Launching the first battle against corruption, the BJP-led government cabinet in Manipur decided today to set up an anti-corruption cell, a major step that aims to maintain transparency and check corruption and misuse of public fund in Manipur. “Three stages of development activities by all government departments now will be photographed after which fund will be released in order to stop misuse of public fund,” minister and Manipur government spokesperson Thongam Biswajit Singh told journalists after a cabinet meeting. The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Biren Singh was held at the CM’s Secretariat. The meeting came a day after the Biren Singh ministry expanded with the induction of three ministers. The government spokesperson Biswajit Singh further said holding of interview for appointment of grade III and IV junior level government employees would be discontinued with immediate effect as per a decision of the cabinet. “The meeting discussed it and the new policy will be implemented in the state without delay. This policy aims to help maintain transparency and also to curb corruption. We’ve decided to set up an anti-corruption cell,” Biswajit announced. The BJP had vowed to fight against corruption during the recently concluded Manipur assembly polls 2017. Biswajit also announced that a phone number would be made available to public soon so that they can help the government in its fight against corruption. On the difficulties being faced by women in registration of land and patta in their names or both husband and wife, Biswajit informed that it will be made easier as the government will now make this process available free of charge. According to a DIPR release, the state cabinet chaired by the Chief Minister N Biren today decided to set up a special cell at Chief Minister’s Secretariat to receive information on corrupt elements in public service, for ensuring transparency and accountability in governance. It was a landmark decision aimed at transparency and accountability in all spheres of administration and for ensuring corruption free governance. To achieve the goal of transparent and accountable governance with focus on citizen-centric and effective discharge of duty by public servants, instructions have been issued to all the public servants to ensure complete transparency and accountability in all matters except in cases where there is a requirement for maintaining secrecy, to ensure that there is not even a single instance of favouritism and nepotism in the discharge of duty, and to ensure that there are no cases of acceptance or offer of bribe, in any form, by or to the officials. The cabinet also discussed the finalisation of work programme and monitoring of development activities for effective and efficient utilization of fund during 2017-18 and decided the mechanism to enable all the stakeholders and the departments accountable for proper utilization of fund. For release of funds during the year, all departments shall be asked to finalise work programme initially for the first four months well in time and move Finance Department for release of fund. The Finance department will frame proper guidelines for release of fund in instalment basis as is done in the case of Govt. of India. In order to implement the scheme of Housing for All under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana effectively in Manipur, the cabinet decided to promulgate an ordinance for exemption of fee in the transfer of documents of land to women. The cabinet also approved to assign the implementation of the said scheme in Greater Imphal area to the Department of MAHUD. In order to streamline all the state funded schemes to the targeted beneficiaries and to ensure delivery with utmost transparency, the state cabinet decided that all the state projects and schemes be brought the ambit of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) with the use of public fund management system (PFMS) within a period of three months.
