Imphal (Manipur) [India], August 28 (ANI): The Manipur Cabinet on Friday approved the implementation of the 'Women Empowerment (WE) - Manipur' Scheme under which 3.5 lakh women members of recognised Self-Help Groups (SHGs) will receive a grant of Rs 10,000 each in the first year, followed by interest-free loans in the second and third years.

The decisions were taken at a Cabinet meeting held at the Chief Minister's Secretariat in Babupara.

Under the Women Empowerment scheme, each eligible woman will receive Rs 10,000 as a grant during the first year. Interest-free loans will be provided in the second and third years. The State Government will issue detailed guidelines and notifications for implementation of the scheme in due course.

The Cabinet also approved the placing of the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (10th Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the upcoming Assembly Session. It further approved the Manipur Town and Country Planning Act, 1975 (Sixth Amendment) as a Bill for introduction in the upcoming Assembly Session.

The amendment seeks to enable construction activities during the preparation period of the Master Plan, in line with national deregulation initiatives and Ease of Doing Business reforms.

The Cabinet also approved the introduction of the Indian Stamp (Manipur Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the upcoming Assembly Session. The proposed amendment aims to revise decades-old stamp duty rates that have not been revised for a long period and generate revenue for the state.

The Cabinet approved the Draft Manipur Public Services Delivery Guarantee Rule, 2026, which seeks to make public service delivery more transparent and time-bound.

The key features of the proposed rules include online submission, processing and tracking of applications, auto-appeal and auto-escalation mechanisms, real-time monitoring through a State Dashboard and automatic flagging of delayed cases.

The Cabinet also gave in-principle approval to the Manipur Police Special Recruitment Scheme for Meritorious Sportspersons, 2026.

The scheme will provide a structured mechanism for the recruitment, development, retention and deployment of meritorious sportspersons against the existing 5 per cent reservation earmarked for sportspersons in direct recruitment to Group 'C' and Group 'D' posts under the Manipur Police.

Under the proposed scheme, meritorious sportspersons will be recruited against the existing 5 per cent sports reservation in Group 'C' and Group 'D' posts under the Manipur Police.

The government will identify priority sporting disciplines with proven medal-winning potential. These include weightlifting, boxing, hockey, judo, taekwondo, fencing, cycling, archery, football, Sepak Takraw, wushu, canoeing and kayaking/rowing, diving, gymnastics and athletics.

A High-Level Assessment Committee, under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, will be constituted to assess discipline-wise requirements and recommend recruitment proposals.

The scheme also provides for the conduct of Special Recruitment Drives for selecting eligible sportspersons through a transparent assessment process. It further envisages the formation and strengthening of Manipur Police Sports Teams and State contingents for participation in national and international competitions.

Provision will also be made for the attachment of players to designated Police Units or Battalions to facilitate effective coaching and preparation.

The scheme will have a structured weaning-out and redeployment mechanism to protect the promotional avenues of regular police personnel while providing long-term career opportunities to sportspersons. (ANI)