Imphal : Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Thursday said all acts of violence should be universally condemned and efforts must be made to prevent them. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Thursday said all acts of violence should be universally condemned and efforts must be made to prevent them.

Singh made these comments at the launch of a book programme by the Department of Sericulture and Manipur Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.    

He said, “Peace has gradually returned to the state and we must collectively strive to maintain it. All our demands, including the identification of illegal immigrants and the implementation of the NRC, should strictly adhere to constitutional and legal frameworks. We must denounce acts of violence and work actively to prevent them.”    

Singh also responded to allegations by the Congress that no aid was mentioned for Manipur in the Union Budget.

Without directly naming the grand old party, Singh said, “The central government has consistently supported relief efforts since the beginning, regardless of whether the state was mentioned in Parliament or not. Let us refrain from indulging in petty politics. The Centre has provided assistance for constructing prefabricated homes and daily food provisions. A total of Rs 145 crore has been allocated for managing relief camps.”    

He added, “Rs 3 crore was spent on distributing television sets in relief camps, and Rs 23 crore was distributed in Rs 1,000 instalments to each person residing in relief camps, on at least four occasions. Additionally, Rs 44 crore was utilised for children’s nutrition and personal hygiene, while Rs 19 crore was allocated as compensatory packages for agricultural and related activities.”    

Singh added, “Rs 25,000 has been disbursed as the first instalment to 6,000 families under the special assistance package for violence-affected families, with each family set to receive Rs 1 lakh.”  He addressed criticisms, stating, “Those engaging in petty politics have misrepresented the government’s efforts for relief camp residents.”

Singh continued, “Even amidst the disastrous hailstorms and floods in recent months, Rs 80 crore was allocated for flood relief, and Rs 45 crore was spent on distributing GI sheets to 42,000 people whose homes were damaged by hailstorms.”

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on July 25 said he would personally send invitations to the 10 Kuki-Zo legislators to attend the upcoming Assembly session. Talking to reporters here, Singh said, “I will personally extend the invitations, as well as through the Assembly. They (Kuki-Zo MLAs) should join us, and we are ready to cooperate.”

Singh’s remark comes ahead of the sixth session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly scheduled from July 31 to August 6. The 10 Kuki MLAs, including two ministers, did not attend the last two sessions due to the ongoing ethnic violence in the state.    

The fifth session was held from February 28 to March 5 and the fourth session on August 29 last year was adjourned after just 11 minutes, with none of the Kuki-Zo MLAs in attendance. Singh also mentioned about his upcoming trip to Delhi, where he plans to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.    

“My visit to Delhi is for the NITI Aayog meeting. Following this, there will be a chief ministers’ conclave where we will discuss various issues. I will address the current situation in the state and seek immediate solutions to the ongoing crisis. I am optimistic that positive outcomes will result,” Singh said before departing for the national capital.

Regarding the incident of arson in Jiribam district on Wednesday night, Singh said, “I have conducted investigations and spoken with leaders from both communities. There is no indication of involvement from either community. Police are actively pursuing the perpetrators. This seems to be the work of people seeking to perpetuate violence.”

Unidentified people set ablaze an abandoned house at Borobekra in Jiribam district on Wednesday night, police said. The house was abandoned by its owner after violence broke out in the district, they added.