According to a government source, around 30,000 stranded people have been evacuated so far
Imphal: As many as 90 workers including nine women engaged in different works in interior Churachandpur district bordering Kakching and Chandel districts were given safe passage on Wednesday.
Chiefs of villages in the interior Churachandpur district along with village youth clubs evacuated them from the places where they (workers) were kept under protection after violence erupted on May 3 last and they were handed over to Congress MLA K Ranjit of Sugnu Assembly constituency Kakching district today.
Of the 90 workers who were given safe passage, 14 workers were from Imphal, 21 from Thoubal and the rest from Bishnupur district.
The village chiefs along with the villagers escorted the workers upto Lalonphai village and handed them over to the MLA who is leading a recently formed peace committee of villages in Chandel and Churachandpur district bordering Kakching district.
The workers who were under the protection of the villages and Assam Rifles were evacuated upto Lalonphai village by villagers under the initiative of the Solamhaokip Area Chiefs’ Association and Solamhaokip Area Youths’ Development Organisation.
Another 105 stranded workers in different places in Ukhrul district were brought back to Imphal today by a combined team of state and Central security forces. The workers staying at places protected by the CSOs based in Ukhrul district were brought back under the initiative of another Congress MLA Th Lokeshwor today.
All the evacuated workers were lodged at the relief camp in Imphal’s Khuman Lampak Sports Complex. Many of them were allowed to go back home after being verified by the police. The MLA extended his gratitude to the Assam Rifles, state police, bus drivers, former Ukhrul MLA Alfred Arthur and others for their initiatives in bringing back stranded workers.
Talking to media, MLA Th Lokeshwor stressed the need for all the MLAs to work collectively, leaving behind differences of party to restore peace in the state. He also stressed the need for the state government to work together with the CSOs for the return of the peace.
“Without the CSOs and community leaders, it will be hard for the government to restore normalcy in the state,” the Congress MLA said. As the state government mainly stressed on evacuating stranded persons to their safe places, around 5300 stranded people were evacuated to the relief camps or to safer places today.
According to a government source, around 30,000 stranded people have been evacuated so far.