State rolls out austerity measures

Guwahati: The Manipur cabinet on Friday approved a set of austerity measures after a security and expenditure review chaired by CM Y Khemchand Singh. The decisions include reducing VIP convoys, introducing work-from-home arrangements, freezing govt-funded foreign travel, and curbing non-essential expenditure.Officials said the steps were taken in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to cut costs amid prevailing global challenges.The cabinet also cleared several key proposals, including filling 173 Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) posts in the family welfare department with central funding, approving a two-year age relaxation for upcoming recruitments, and finalizing compensation rates for land acquisition along the Imphal–Jiribam and Imphal–Dimapur national highways to speed up expansion projects.Other approvals included rationalisation of posts under the Manipur State Power Company Limited (MSPCL), extension of the New Development Bank-funded Manipur Water Supply Project, and a green light for the Loktak Experience Project, aimed at developing Loktak Lake into an iconic tourist destination..