By A Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Dec 14: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram arrived in Imphal on a special ‘Embraer’ aircraft of the Indian Air Force from Guwahati this afternoon around 2.24 pm for a two day visit to the state to overview the overall situations, particularly of law and order.
The Union Home Minister is being accompanied by MA Siddique, PS to Union Home Minister, Dr. MC Mehanathan, director (NE-1), MHA and Indrajit Kaur, director Police Administration, MHA, Government of India.
The Home ministerial team soon after arrival at Imphal Aiport proceeded directly to the Raj Bhavan, Imphal by road along the Tiddim road under a tight security arrangement. Thereafter, the union home minister address students at GP Women’s College located at Jail Road Imphal this afternoon around 3.30pm.
Later in the evening, the Home Minister reviewed security situation in the state with Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh at the later’s cabinet room by convening a Combined Head Quarters meeting which was attended by almost all the high ranking security officials deputed in the state including the Army, Assam Rifles, BSF, CRPF civil police.
Besides the Chief Minister and state chief secretary DS Poonia, the meeting was also attended by DGP Manipur Y Joykumar, DG Assam Rifles Rameshwar Roy, GOC 57. Mt. Div DS Hooda, IGAR (South) CA Krishnan, IGP CRPF (Nagaland and Manipur Sector) and DIG BSF representing the security forces.
According to a highly placed source, the CHQ meeting elaborately discussed the burning issues in the state like, frequent threats perceptions, kidnappings, exploding of bombs at the residential complex of government officers and businessmen by militants related with monetary demands.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister and high ranking state official drew the attention of the Union minister to the need for increasing security manpower in the state so as to enable state government to control the problems of law and order caused by the militancy since last many years.
The official source further mentioned that the CHQ meeting also discussed protection of national highways of the state by providing adequate highway protection forces to prevent any form disturbances along the National highways by any individuals, communities or organization by calling bandhs and blockades which had become stumbling block to development in the state till today.
Keeping note on various comments and views from official presence in the meeting from state government and security forces during the CHQ meeting, the union home minister made his assurances to take up whatever possible measures from the central government to overcome the existing problems related to the law and order situations of the state, the official source added.
The visiting Union Home Minister along with the MHA officials also attended a called on meeting with Governor Gurbachan Jagat at the Raj Bhavan Imphal around 6 pm and discussed overall problems of the state which have been created out of the deteriorating law and order situation of the state, according to an official source.
In the meantime, the visiting central minister and officials of MHA after attending series of meetings were enthralled with a cultural programmes held this evning at the 1st MR complex, Imphal where a dinner was also hosted by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh for the visiting central dignatories. The Union Home Minister and the MHA officials will stay at Raj Bhavan, Imphal tonight, the official source added.
On the other hand, state home department in order to maintain law and order to provide adequate security and to prevent any untoward incident during the visit of the Union Home Minister, special security measures were taken since this morning.
According to a highly placed official source, state home department had already ordered to positioned armed police personnel at some strategic points in Imphal area including Imphal Airport gate, Ningombam Lamkhai, Sangaiprou, Paite Veng crossing, Kwakeithel bazaar, Building tops along the Tiddim road including, Sangai express Thounda Bhavok, Hotel Excellency, Former Seen TV building at Paona bazaar, Takhel Leikai area, Hodam Leirak, Keishampat Junction and traffic point at Nityaipat Chuthek.
Before two hours ahead of arrival of union home minister and central official team at Imphal airport today, ROP personnel were also made to carry out advance checking covering dominating features of building tops and tall trees both sides along the route of visiting VIPS.
In the meantime, as per the final laid down tentative tour programmes of the visiting union home minister and central official team, the VVIP team will leave Kangla Helipad at 8.40 am tomorrow for Moirang on MI-17 helicopter and landed at BSF helipad at Moirang from there the visiting central ministerial team would travel by road upto Sendra (Loktak lake) where union home minister will address a public meeting at 9.15 am. After meeting with the public at Sendra, the union home minister will again return by road upto BSF helipad for Churachandpur district.
In the meantime, heavy security arrangements have already been made along Tiddim road under the supervision of SP Bishnupur since this evening with strong instruction to dominate the area and check the presence and movement of any undesirable elements, and special attention are also asked to paid to find out and prevent any mounting of rocket launchers, anti Aircraft guns etc. and similar instructions have also been given to the SP Churachandpur for taking up necessary security measures along with the Army and para military forces which are deployed in the area.
The union home minister and his official team will leave Moirang Helipad on same MI-17 helicopter at 10 am and will proceed directly to AR helipad at Singhat, Churachandpur and visit designated camp of Zoumi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) at Seikot by road from Singhat at about 11.15 am. The Union home minister and his team will again leave Singhat helipad on the same MHA helicopter at about 11.45am and will further land at Khuga Dam site where union home minister will meet community leaders at 12 noon, official source added.
The visiting union home minister P Chidambaram and his official team will return to Kangla in Imphal on the same MI-178 helicopter around 2 pm in the afternoon and they will leave Imphal Airport for Delhi by IAF Embraer Arcraft at about 2.30 pm tomorrow afternoon after travelling by road from Kangla helipad to Imphal Airport along the Tddim road under a tight security arrangement, the official source added.
In late information recieved, chief minister O Ibobi Singh is likely to accompany union home minister P Chidambaram during the later’s official tour in various parts of the state, the official source added.