Edo State Executive Council yesterday approved a supplementary budget of N12.3 billion to enable the Governor Oserheimen Osunbor's administration execute some vital projects in the state.

The State Commissioner overseeing Information and Orientation Ministry, Mr. Anthony Iyalekhue who disclosed this while briefing newsmen said the approval of the supplementary budget was informed by the need for Government to provide for other projects that were not accommodated in the 2008 budget.

He listed such projects to include the implementation of the payment of 15% pay rise, the National Sports Festival and Security Matters, adding that the Exco had approved N1.5 billion as counterpart fund to access over N3 billion for Millennium Development Goals Projects in the state.

He used the medium to explain the decision of the State Government to purchase an Armoured Personnel Carrier for Edo State Police Command was as a response to an appeal made by the Inspector General of Police to the 36 State Governments.

Also speaking on the occasion, Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Kenneth Ihensekhien revealed that the State Government had approved the procurement of one hundred thousand bags of rice to be sold to members of the public at a subsidized rate during the Yuletide period.

He said the initiative was a measure aimed at cushioning the hardship on people and to curtail the problem of food crisis in the country, adding that the gesture would go a long way to put similes on the faces of the people during the period.

On her part, the Commissioner for Environment and Transport, Mrs. Sera Adetugboboh disclosed that the Exco had approved the sum of N774.3 million to Paulosa Nigeria Limited for the control of the flooding and erosion problem in Upper Lawani Street in Benin City, adding that the design and study of other erosion prone areas had been concluded and submitted for consideration. She appealed to the Staff of Edo Line and its Trade Unions to bear with the State Government as arrangement had been concluded to pay their arrears of salaries in the next two weeks.

The Commissioner explained that Government was not willing to retrench the workers, instead it is considering the process of redeploying the redundant workers to other government establishments as over-staffing of the company presently stands at 9 workers to 1 vehicle instead of 3 to 1.