The process for merger before the end of the current financial year 2009-10 has started, official source said today.
In order to facilitate the process to merge the engineering cell, government has asked not to entrust or deposit funds for fresh works with the two wings (wing-I and wing-II) of the cell.
The process for repatriation regular employees of both non-technical and technical staffs of the cell also started, the official disclosed.
Officials of the District Council Engineering Cell and Manipur Tribal Development Corporation have also been asked to seat together and work out all necessary steps like the status of the officers and staff of the cell within the financial year 2009-10 under the merger modalities, it added.
The six Hill Autonomous District Councils of Manipur had established the District Council Engineering Cell/Section (wing-I &II) under the administrative control of the Hills Department of the Manipur government.
The main objective of setting up the cell was for mobilizing resources of the district council by undertaking deposit works for various government works of the Autonomous District Councils.
Cabinet of the SPF government under the chair of the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, after thorough discussion on the merger proposal two times, on April 29 and September 14 of this year, approved the merger of the engineering cell to the Manipur Tribal Development Corporation Ltd, a statuary body under the Hills Department.
Following the decision, the two wings of the engineering cell (DCEC, wing-I and wing-II) were asked not to taken up process for receiving fresh deposit works from any other department of the government.
State finance department had issued an order regarding the matter, the source said.
The two engineering cell is currently in 20 deposit works of different departments of the state government.
Most of them are nearly completion and other are in progress except the construction of district hospital in Ukhrul district which is yet to start.
As the two wings of the engineering cell are bound to complete execution of the on-going deposit works before the merger, the authorities concern have been asked to ensure completion of the work within the current financial year 2009-10 .
To avoid legal complicacies, the cell has been asked to complete at least the ongoing works by obtaining deposit for the ongoing works and complete the works in hand and handed over to the depositors, the source said.
The Cabinet seating on September 14 last reviewed the decision of merger of the cell and approved the proposal for allowing completing the ongoing deposit works to be taken up by the engineering cell as well as payment of bills to the contractors within the financial year 2009-10 .