Our Correspondent
Imphal, Feb. 21 (EMN): A sum of INR 7,85,16,000 was being spent annually in Manipur as stipend to armed cadres of two groups namely the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF) who have signed a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with government.
Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh disclosed this in his reply to queries raised by opposition Congress legislator Kangjubam Ranjit Singh of Sugnu constituency during the ongoing assembly session on Wed.
There are 1122 cadres under KNO and 1059 cadres under UPF, Singh said. The amount incurred in paying the stipend to cadres were cent per cent borne by the central authority.
Singh informed that the SoO agreement with the armed groups under two conglomerates KNO and UPF was signed following an assurance that there should not be any demand for separate state.
The central government have signed SoO agreement for stopping counterinsurgency operations against 21 armed groups under two conglomerates namely KNO and UPF on Aug. 22 2008 where KNO and UPF represented eleven and eight Kuki militant outfits respectively.
Also Biren Singh informed the house that the government has been taking up necessary legal steps by booking and arresting the individuals involved in the unwanted activities.
Responding to another query on report of involvement of some cadres belonging to SoO signatories along (Imphal to) Moreh road, Biren Singh also assured the house that the government will also take action if any. He also informed that one Mathur has been appointed as new interlocutor of the ongoing SoO between the KNO and UPF. Earlier in July 2017, the government had appointed former Intelligence Bureau Director Debendra Sharma as its interlocutor. However the centre appointed him to be Centre’s “special representative” in Jammu and Kashmir in Oct. last year.
Replying to another query by opposition MLA Kh Joykishan on providing security to some persons other than Ministers, MLAs, Ex-CMs and government officials, Singh informed that 31 individuals were provided security based on threat assessment by state level review committee and also central agencies. Altogether 255 security personnel including 149 Manipur police personnel were utilised for the purpose. The remaining personnel belongs to CRPF and others.
