The Manipur State Assembly formed a house committee to investigate illegal migrations in the state. The committee will submit its report within three months.
Awangbow Newmai, Minister of Water Resources and Relief & Disaster Management, has been appointed as the committee’s Chairman.
The committee members include Letpao Haokip, Minister of Tribal Affairs & Hills and Horticulture & Soil Conservation, who has been absent from the Assembly sittings since May of last year.
L. Susindro Meitei, Minister of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Basanta Kumar, Minister of Education, Law, and Legislative Affairs; Dinganglung Gangmei, Chairman of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC); K. Meghachandra Singh, MLA Lokeshwar Singh, MLA; Md. Abdul Nasir, MLA; Leishiyo Keishing, MLA; Surjakumar Okram, MLA; Ibomcha Singh, MLA; and Shanti Singh, MLA. The committee will submit its report within three months.
On Tuesday replying to a calling attention motion by MLA Leishiyo Keishing, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, also the leader of the house, emphasized his seriousness by calling upon the members of the house to form a committee irrespective of ruling or opposition. Leader of the opposition, Okram Ibobi, while welcoming the proposal of the leader of the house, suggested a discussion with the speaker for the formation of the committee.
Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh said that 10, 675 illegal immigrants were detected in the state in the last five years. He said that the Free Movement regime (FMR) has been kept under suspension by the state government since June 29, 2021, and the Union Home ministry has recommended to the Ministry of External Affairs to completely scrap FMR adding that process going on to establish six new Police Station and 34 Police Outposts at the border areas of the State.Replying to a question of MLA Surjakumar Okram, Singh who is also in charge of home department in the assembly stated that 10675 illegal immigrants are from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Norway, China and Nepal.He informed that around 85 immigrants were deported. “Around 143 immigrants are in the detention centre. The state government has incurred Rs 85, 55, 761 for maintenance of detainees in the detention centre.”
The chief minister stated a committee has been constituted to conduct a verification drive for identification of illegal Myanmar immigrants in Churachandpur, Chandel, Tengnoupal, Kamjong and Pherzawl. “Before the ongoing violence broke out on 03/05/2023, the Committee detected 2,480 illegal Myanmar immigrants. The Central Government has announced that the Indo-Myanmar Border will be fenced completely. Border Fencing work has already started and given importance. A total length of 9.214 km of border fencing between BP 79 to 81 has been completed.”
He added, “ MHA has approved border fencing of 120 km in Manipur out of which DPR has been submitted to MHA for 80 kms. Sanction has been accorded and physical work has commenced for a stretch of 21.86 km. MHA vide letter dated 07/07/2024 has intimated the State Government to finalize the stretches for construction of fence for remaining portion of IMB to cover the entire length of Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur. Steps are being taken to start survey works for the remaining stretch. District police are working round the clock to check the influx of illegal immigrants by conducting mobile frisking and checking at vulnerable areas. District Police have been alerted to keep strict monitoring/checking illegal infiltration along Indo-Myanmar Border. Frequent patrolling, frisking & checking are conducted regularly with inputs collected from sources to detect illegal immigrants”.
The chief minister said that routine and frequent frisking & checking including Naka checking, patrolling has been conducted at vulnerable routes and at the borders of adjoining villages to check the influx of illegal immigrants. All illegal immigrants are confined to local temporary shelter homes located at Indo-Myanmar border villages. They have been provided humanitarian support after proper identification and verification by way of taking biometric and biographic details. State police and Assam rifles are alerted to check and restrict movements of illegal immigrants beyond such temporary local shelter homes where they are temporarily kept. The Free Movement Regime (FMR) has been kept under suspension by the State Government from 29/06/2021 till now. MHA has also recommended to MEA to completely scrap FMR. Process going on to establish six new Police Stations and 34 Police Outposts at the border areas of the State. The State Government has appointed Civil and Police Nodal Officers in five border districts to check and monitor illegal migrants in the border districts.
At least 226 people have been killed, 1,500 injured and 60,000 displaced since violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities on May 3 last year.
The riots began after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
Arms recovered
Acting on specific information regarding the presence of arms and ammunition in fringe areas of the Kakching district of Manipur, a joint team of Indian Army and Assam Rifles launched an extensive search operation on August 7 and recovered one AK Rifle, one 12 bore Single Barrel Rifle, two 9mm Pistols, 11 grenades, ammunition and other war-like stores. Recovered items have been handed over to the Manipur Police for further investigation and disposal.
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