Hmar outfit claims blast responsibility
Imphal, Apr 30 : Troops of the 57 Mountain Division started patrolling the Tipaimukh hydel project site in Manipur’s Churachandpur district today after militants blew off a drilling rig and brought work to a standstill on Saturday.
“The army started patrolling the Tipaimukh project site and surrounding areas today. Troops moved into the area from Parbung, the nearest security post in the district,” a senior police official said.
Militants had blasted a drilling machine using an IED, forcing all engineers and workers to flee the project site, located on the Manipur-Mizoram border.
The Hmar Peoples Convention (Democratic) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Terming the project a “destructive intervention” by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (Neepco) and the Manipur government, the outfit said the ongoing drilling works were against the interest of the Hmar people living in the area.
The incident took place on the Mizoram side of the project. The Neepco authorities have lodged a complaint with the sub-divisional police officer of Sakawrdai in Mizoram.
Neepco executive director T.C. Borgohain last evening submitted a report to Manipur principal secretary in charge of home and power, D.S. Poonia, a source said.
Stating that some rebels damaged a defective drilling machine that was lying idle for some days, Borgohain urged the state government to ascertain the safety of the officials and workers.
A Neepco official said the corporation was expecting “appropriate action” to provide security to the officials and workers. He added that work would resume within a week of the government providing “environmental and personal security coverage” to the officials.
Sources here said Neepco has also urged the Centre to provide nine companies of CRPF for the project site. The Manipur government will soon discuss deployment of security personnel at the project site. There is no police station or outpost in Tipaimukh.
The Okram Ibobi Singh government is likely to request the army to protect the project site until alternative arrangements can be made.
Officials of the power department are constantly in touch with those in Neepco.
The power company has also informed the Manipur government that they had to suspend a survey for a road diversion on National Highway 150 some weeks ago because of threats by unidentified persons. Various civil society organisations in Manipur are opposing the project, saying it would destroy the environment and the economy.
Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh convened a meeting of Neepco, state government and senior police officials in Imphal on May 2.
An official source said the meeting would discuss all security-related matters.
Chief secretary Jarnail Singh and director general of police Yumnam Joykumar Singh would attend the meeting.
Telegraph India
0 comments:
Post a Comment