Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured the high-level delegation from Manipur led by Chief Minister N Biren Singh that rehabilitation and peace restoration process to go on simultaneously.
Singh, who met Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier in the day, said he has been assured that the Centre will back the efforts of the state to “settle the displaced persons”.
“I met Amit Shah ji and he has said both the rehabilitation and peace restoration process should go simultaneously. He has assured us of all assistance from the Centre. We apprised him of the current situation and how things are much better, especially after the speech by PM Modi and Amit Shah ji in Parliament,” he added.
The Manipur CM said work is in progress to rehabilitate those displaced, including people whose houses were burnt during the violence.
“We have already constructed temporary housing for those affected, Rs 149 crore was approved for constructing 3,000 pre-fabricated housing units and 400 families have been provided these units.”
While the Manipur government intends to rebuild all houses burnt during the violence, the initial target is to deliver approximately 1,000.
According to state government sources, Singh requested the Union home minister to provide Rs 150-200 crore for rehabilitating those whose houses were burnt.
“The focus is now on rehabilitation and we would like to settle families whose houses were burnt down. A total of 4,000 houses will have to be constructed, but we are planning to start with 1,000,” said sources.
The security situation in the state, coordination between Manipur police and central forces, and surrender of looted weapons were also discussed in the meeting, the report said.
The Home Ministry said 50 more companies of the CRPF are being sent to Manipur to strengthen buffer zones between the hills and the valley and provide security to the CBI team probing multiple FIRs related to violence in the state.
To put an end to “illegal migration” from neighbouring Myanmar, CM Biren Singh said he has sought more central forces to complete the fencing of the 398-km porous international border.
He added that the state will also be asking for an extension of the central government’s 30 September deadline to complete the process of recording the biometrics of illegal migrants lodged at a detention centre in Imphal.
In a drive conducted by the Manipur government in April, over 2,800 illegal migrants from Myanmar were found to be residing in the state.
The chief minister also said he was unaware of the sexual assault of the two women who were paraded by a mob on May 4 in Thoubal and said that the video was ‘leaked’ a day before the Monsoon session of Parliament as part of a ‘conspiracy’.
Biren was accompanied by Speaker Th Satyabarta, RD & PR minister Y Khemchand, Works Minister K Govindas, Education Minister Th Basantakumar and Health Minister Dr S Ranjan.
Ahead of the upcoming session on August 29, Singh said he has spoken to the Meitei civil society groups and will ensure that the Kuki-Zo MLAs are not harmed.
According to reports, the tribal MLAs are likely to skip the session due to security concerns.
