Manipur Guv reviews law & order situation of the state

Imphal, March 4 (IANS) Four days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the overall security situation in Manipur, state Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Tuesday reviewed the overall law and order situation in the restive state.

A senior Raj Bhavan official said that the Governor chaired a security meeting and reviewed the overall law and order situation in the state.

The official said that this was a follow-up meeting after the security situation of Manipur was reviewed at a meeting held in New Delhi on March 1 under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister. The Governor directed the officials of both the Army, para-military, Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and the state police to maintain a high vigil over the situation and to take prompt action when the situation arises.

Manipur Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, Security Advisor to the state government Kuldiep Singh, Director General of Manipur police Rajiv Singh, Home Commissioner N. Ashok Kumar, General Officer in Command 3-Corps Lt. Gen. Abhijit S Pendharkar, GOC,57 Mountain Division Maj. Gen. S.S. Kartikeya, Inspector General, Assam Rifles (South) Maj. Gen. Ravroop Singh, top Manipur Police officials, Inspector General. CRPF, Rajendra Narayan Das and Inspector General, BSF S.K. Mishra attended the meeting at the Raj Bhavan.

In an attempt to restore peace and normalcy, the Union Home Minister on March 1 reviewed the overall security situation in Manipur.

During the meeting, he had said that the Centre, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, remains fully committed to restoring lasting peace in Manipur and is providing all necessary assistance in this regard.

The Home Minister directed that free movement be ensured for people on all roads in Manipur from March 8 and asked for strict action against anyone attempting to create obstructions.

The Home Minister had also instructed that the fencing work on both sides of the designated entry points along Manipur’s border with Myanmar should be completed at the earliest. He said that to make Manipur drug-free, the entire network involved in the drug trade should be dismantled.

The March 1 meeting in Delhi was the first such top-level review meeting held after the imposition of President’s Rule in the northeastern state, which has been witnessing ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 3, 2023. President’s Rule was promulgated in the restive Manipur on February 13, four days after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned.

The Manipur Governor and top officials of the state government, Home Ministry, Intelligence Bureau, Deputy Chief of Army Staff, the Army’s Eastern Command chief, the Directors General of the BSF, the CRPF, and the Assam Rifles, Security Advisor, Manipur government, and Manipur’s Chief Secretary and Director General of Police attended the Delhi meeting.

Senior police officials said that so far over 750 looted and illegally held weapons, including many sophisticated arms and a huge cache of ammunition, were returned to security forces since the Governor made the appeal for the first time on February 20.

Governor Bhalla, in his fresh appeal, on February 28 said: “The request (on February 20) has yielded a positive response. Upon the expiry of the seven-day deadline for voluntary surrender of such arms, there has been a demand from both valley and hill areas to extend the period for surrender. I have considered the request and decided to extend the deadline up to 4 p.m. on March 6 for voluntary surrender of such arms.”

“During this period, no punitive action would be taken against the individuals who voluntarily surrender weapons. However, any person found in possession of illegal or looted arms after the given deadline will face legal action as per law,” he said.

–IANS

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