IMPHAL, October 25 : An inquiry has been ordered into the Ukhrul incident wherein unidentified gunmen fired towards a helipad in the hill town minutes after a chopper on board Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh-led ministerial team took off amidst protests by Tangkhul Naga Long(TNL), an apex body of Tangkhul tribe, on Monday.
Manipur DGP LM Khoute issued an order in this regard on Tuesday.
Additional DGP (Intelligence) P Doungel has been appointed as the Enquiry Officer to enquire into the circumstances leading to the incidents of violence that occurred during the visit of Chief Minister accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister and other ministers to Ukhrul on Monday. He will also look into the lapses in security arrangements, if any, fix responsibility and submit his report with recommendations to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future within seven days.
According to a reliable source, five policemen are likely to be suspended in connection with the Ukhrul incident.
On Monday morning, Chief Minister Ibobi-led seven-member council of ministers was forced to fly back to Imphal from Ukhrul following protest by TNL and subsequent firing by unidentified gunmen from an unknown destination. One Manipur Rifles jawan sustained injury during the firing.
The Ibobi-led ministerial delegation was scheduled to inaugurate a 100-bed district hospital, two upgraded power sub-stations, bank and a block development officer’s building in the hill district.
But the team could not move out of the helipad as the protest turned violent with burning of tyres and two police vehicles en route to the inauguration site. Meanwhile, reacting to the report of negligence of state’s hill areas and demand for completion of the hospital before inauguration in Ukhrul, Chief Minister Ibobi, in a media interaction, here this evening clarified that the Ukhrul district hospital which was first started as a 50-bed hospital is in the process of becoming a 100-bed hospital. He also informed that most of the development funds (including road and communication, power and health) were utilised in hills in the last few years.
The department heads of Health and Power besides engineers of state PWD also made power point presentations on their respective (sector) achievements in the infrastructure development works in the five hill districts.
