Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, who is also the BJP Manipur in-charge, was unable to assure that Chief Minister N Biren will be the Manipur Chief Minister Face of BJP in the upcoming Assembly election.
Although Bhupendra contended that the BJP-led government in the state has witnessed a great improvement in its five-year tenure under the leadership of Biren and he is also leading the BJP Manipur in the ensuing election, he however said, “the decision to choose the chief minister candidate of BJP will be taken by the central leader”.
Bhupendra was replying to a query raised by the media during a press conference on Tuesday at the Manipur BJP head office in Imphal regarding the Union Budget 2022-23.
He also said that the actual campaign of the BJP will be started after the last day for the withdrawal of candidates announced by the ECI (that is February 11 for first phase and February 16 for second phase).
Regarding the reason for delay in publishing the BJP’s election manifesto when most of their rival parties have published it, Bhupendra said, “We do not want everything to go in a dash. Unlike other political parties our manifesto is being prepared in public interest by taking suggestions from the CSOs, stakeholders, sportsmen, academicians among others.”
The party is always ready to take any initiatives for developmental activity in all aspects in Manipur, he said, adding the need to maintain peace and harmony for any kind of development process development is impossible when there is unrest.
Coming to the Union Budget 2022-23, he informed that the budget focuses on inclusive growth through sustainable development, creation of new job opportunities for the youth and generating clean and green energy.
In this budget, the central government is greatly focused on Manipur as it is a corridor to South-East Asia, he said, informing the inclusion OF Rs. 560 crore for the upgradation of RIMS including provisions for sports medicine.
However the Union minister cannot give a clear cut answer on whether RIMS will be upgraded to AIIMS, which is a long pending demand of the people of Manipur.
He stated that a new scheme named “PM DevINE” with an allocation of Rs. 1,500 crore will be implemented through the North-Eastern Council to fund infrastructure, in the spirit of PM GatiShakti.
Reflecting the true spirit of cooperative federalism, the central government enhanced the outlay for the “Scheme for Financial Assistance to States for Capital Investment” from Rs 10,000 crore in the Budget Estimates to Rs 15,000 crore in the Revised Estimates for the current year, informed Bhupendra.
Moreover, for 2022-23, the allocation is Rs 1 lakh crore to assist the states in catalysing overall investments in the economy, he said adding in this way Manipur will get a very good share and benefits.
