Imphal: Manipur governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has informed representatives of Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (Cocomi), All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation, and the Federation of Civil Society Organisations that resettlement of displaced persons will be taken up in three phases starting in July and complete by December.
The announcement was made during a meeting with the CSOs held at Raj Bhavan, Imphal on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by key security officials, including the security advisor to the Manipur Government, the DGP, and the commissioner, Home.
Speaking to reporters at the Manipur Press Club after the meeting, Cocomi convenor Kh. Athouba said the discussion was a follow-up to earlier meetings with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi.
Athouba said the governor told them that the state government has already begun implementing key agendas agreed upon with the Home ministry. As a part of the peace roadmap, reconstruction of houses destroyed during the conflict has begun, and renovation work on partially damaged houses is going on.
Budgets have been allocated for these efforts on both sides of the conflict-affected areas.
The governor also informed the delegation that the inquiry report on the Guwaltabi incident where the word “Manipur” was forcibly removed from a Manipur State Transport bus is on his table and will be made public within two weeks.
The meeting also discussed the recent Phubala incident, in which a farmer was injured in a suspected attack by Kuki armed militants. In response, the government has deployed an additional 1,000 personnel from the Manipur Rifles and the Indian Reserve Battalion to vulnerable farming areas. Five security personnel have been suspended over lapses related to the incident, Athouba said.
To bolster security for farmers across both hill and valley regions, Quick Response teams have been formed under respective deputy commissioners for rapid intervention in case of any threat, the CSOs were informed.
The civil society representatives urged the governor to direct the Manipur Police to publicly assure that farmers are safe and protected.
Athouba said a total of 13,935 illegal immigrants have been detected so far, with 13,917 of them already deported to their places of origin. To prevent further infiltration, fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border is progressing, with 40 km of fencing completed in Chandel and Churachandpur districts.
He called for collective stance of the civil organisations.
“Suspension of Operation agreement with Kuki militant groups should not be continued until the current violence in the state is fully resolved,” he said.
Manipur has been experiencing socio-political chaos since May 3, 2023, the day Meitei-Kuki conflict erupted.
