Imphal: Congress in Manipur on Wednesday criticised the Centre and the state government for what it termed a lack of administrative efficiency and political accountability, pointing to the truncated size of the Council of Ministers led by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.

Addressing the media in Imphal, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Keisham Meghachandra Singh alleged that the government had failed to release funds allocated in the 2025-26 Budget, despite its passage in the Assembly. He said that as of March 31, the final day of the financial year, only a limited portion of the sanctioned outlay had been disbursed.

Meghachandra claimed that nearly Rs 600 crore earmarked for various Central and state government schemes remained unreleased, adversely affecting beneficiaries and stalling development and welfare programmes. He warned that the continued withholding of funds could derail key projects and further strain the state's finances amid prevailing economic challenges.

Raising concerns over governance, the Congress leader also questioned the small size of the Cabinet. He argued that maintaining the full permissible strength of ministers was essential to ensure administrative efficiency and accountability, particularly in a complex governance environment.

Referring to the provisions of the 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, he noted that the total number of ministers in a state should not exceed 15% of the strength of the Legislative Assembly, with a mandated minimum of 12. In contrast, he said, the present government has a four-member Council of Ministers, including two Deputy Chief Ministers.