Rubber plantation suggested to replace jhoom

Imphal, July 19: MLA Morung Makunga has proposed large scale rubber plantation to replace jhoom cultivation as a means of afforestation as well as augmenting income of villagers in the hill districts.

Putting forth a demand seeking assent of the House in this regard in the assembly session yesterday, Morung Makunga claimed that rubber plantation can generate around Rs 7000 to 8000 in a day from one hectare.

Asserting that plantation policy was more important than forest protection policy, Morung Makunga said that truck loads of timber are being exported outside the State after felling trees extensively without permission from Forest Department.

The Government could not check this illegal practice nor the Forest Department could levy any tax on the same practice, he observed.

But this form of illegal lumbering has become one major factor for dwindling forest cover in the State.

Calling upon the House to devise an effective policy to check such environmentally disastrous form of lumbering as well as to pursue afforestation programme vigorously, Morung Makunga suggested co-opting MLAs while organising awareness programmes about the importance of forest at village level.

Taking part in the discussion, MLA Ng Bijoy called upon the ruling bench to provide necessary infrastructure to enable district level cooperative societies to function at optimum level so that cooperative movement becomes a success in the State.

He also drew attention of the House towards disposing bio-medical wastes properly by using incinerator.

Bijoy asked whether tree saplings planted under Green Imphal City programme have grown.

He suggested proper disposal of solid wastes coming from hotels and to rear earthworms for production of compost manure.

Dr I Ibohalbi observed that excavation of sand and quarrying activities on river banks causes massive deposition of sediment in Loktak Lake at the time of floods thereby depleting depth of the lake.

He urged upon the Government to establish a strong Loktak Protection Force at the earliest to ward off any interference in the activities of Loktak Development Authority towards conserving Loktak.

Observing that several areas in the hill districts are yet to enjoy the benefit of electricity despite the claim of electrification in hill districts, Dr Khasim Ruivah called for identification of villages which are yet to be electrified so that these villages can be provided electricity from non-conventional energy sources.

Opposition leader Radhabinod Koijam and RK Anand also took part in the discussion.

Responding to the discussion, Cooperation Minister Y Erabot claimed that efforts were on divide Cooperation Department into eleven segments in order to streamline the functioning of the department.

Numerous seminars were organised to implement Self Employment Generation Programme (SEGP) to create awareness among the beneficiaries on successful implementation of the programme, Erabot said.

A total of loan amount of around Rs 150 crores have been given to 9492 beneficiaries through the Manipur State Cooperative Bank.

Following release of Rs 1688.08 lakhs by the Union Government, loans taken by farmers up to the amount of Rs 20,000 between March 31 1997 and February 28, 2008 have been waived off, Erabot informed the House.

Forest and Environment Minister Thoudam Debendra said that the Government took up bamboo plantation in several areas of Chandel, Tamenglong, Jiribam and Churachandpur where bamboo groves were destroyed by bamboo flowering.

Debendra said that the Government has been planning to take up rubber plantation in Churachandpur and Jiribam with funding from the NEC.

Efforts were on to check raising level of river beds and Loktak bed by planting tree saplings in catchment areas.

A wetland protection committee would be constituted soon to identify and demarcate wetlands for protection, said the Forest and Environment Minister.

Science and Technology Minister Phungzathang Tonsing said that plans were afoot to extend electricity facility to remote villages which were yet to be electrified within 18 months.

For this, the Government of India has assured the required amount.

Saying that 83 integrated rural electrification programmes have been implemented.

However, the same programme has been put on halt since 2006-07, Phungzathang said.

After due deliberation, the House passed three demands amounting to around Rs 75.74 crores.

The three demands passed by the House were Demand No 16 for Cooperating 9 (of amount Rs 12,76,14,000), Demand No 19 for Environment and Forest (Rs 50,79,95,000) and Demand No 46 for Science and Technology and Information Technology (Rs 12,18,54,000) .

While discussing these demands, opposition members Dr Ng Bijoy, Dr I Ibohalbi and RK Anand raised cut motions.