Traffic curbs imposed around chief minister’s bungalow; High level meetings discuss security lapse

I MPHAL, Sep 2: In the follow up to last night’s blast security has been intensified in the surroundings of the chief minister’s bungalow with restrictions being put on the movement of night traffic on the main roads on the western and northern sides of the bungalow. The restrictions will be effective from 6 pm in the evening till 7 am the next day for an unspecified period.

Security was tightened Tuesday in Imphal area specially on roads passing near the chief minister’s bungalow after last night’s lethod bomb attack by the proscribed PREPAK.

A lethod bomb exploded inside the compound of the state chief minister’s bungalow last night at around 8.10 pm. No casualties occurred in the blast.

Two high level security meetings were also held today to review the law and order situation in the state with special reference to the militant activities in Imphal municipal area where the disturbed area status in not in force, a highly reliable source said.

The joint director north east charge, SIB, Manmohon also called on the chief minister, O Ibobi Singh today. Sources said that the two discussed intelligence input on the militant activities.

Meanwhile, the police as part of security measures in and around the chief minister’s bungalow stopped vehicles of all kinds from passing through the two main roads on the western and northern side of the residence effective from this evening.

The night restrictions on the movement of vehicles will be effective from 6 pm till 7 am, said an order of the senior SP, Imphal west, L Kailun today.

As per the order no civil vehicle will be allowed to come from the Palace Gate side towards Sanjenthong and NH-39, as they will be diverted towards Minuthong or Thumbuthong.

Civil vehicles coming from Imphal bazar/western gate of Kangla towards the chief minister’s bungalow on the NH-39 will be diverted towards Keishampat bridge at Nityaipat, and no vehicles coming from Keishampat bridge and Jail road shall be allowed to come on NH-39 towards the chief minister’s bungalow, as they will be diverted towards the north on the NH-39.

Civil heavy vehicles coming from the Indo-Myanmar side will be diverted towards Pishumthong from Chingamakhong crossing or towards Keishamthong bridge from Singh & Co Moirangkhom.

Meanwhile, the first high level state security meeting was held this morning around 8.15 am while the second one was held this afternoon around 3.30 pm chaired by the chief minister O Ibobi Singh.

Many cabinet ministers and high ranking state police officers led by the DGP, additional DGP and IGP (Intelligence) and SPs of both Imphal east and Imphal west attended the meeting.

In the meantime, lapses on the part of the security detailed along the stretch from Palace Compound to Raj Bhavan and on the northern side of the chief minister’s bungalow was suggested to be behind the intrusion of the militants and the subsequent attack, sources said.

After observing the spot inside the bungalow premises where the lethod exploded, an official of the state police intelligence said that the only possible way to carry out the attack on the chief minister’s bungalow was from the main road running on the northern side of the bungalow.

Except from this direction, there was no other way which the militants could escape after carrying out the attack, the officer who did not want to be named said.

The said road is one of the main entry points to Imphal city and passes beside the chief minister’s bungalow from Palace Compound on the east and connects to the NH-39 which runs on the western side of the bungalow. This stretch of road also passes through the southern side of the Raj Bhavan and connects to the Tiddim road (NH-150).

Being a sensitive area, armed police personnel are detailed at five points between the stretch from Palace Compound to Keishampat junction which is around 500 metres. Armed police personnel are detailed in front of Palace Compound, Sanjenthong, Nupilal complex, Raj Bhavan gate and at Keishampat Junction round the clock.

However, yesterday no armed police could be seen on duty in front of the Nupilal complex, Raj Bhavan gate and Keishampat before the attack took place, he said.

He also suspected that the attackers may have intruded from the Palace Compound side in a four wheeler and after firing the lethod towards the bungalow, escaped towards the Tiddim road passing through the road in front of the Nupi Lal complex and Raj Bhavan gate.

Mention may be made that around an hour after the blast took place, Aheiba Angom, a spokesperson of the proscribed PREPAK owned up the attack stating that they done it as a warning to the chief minister, O Ibobi Singh to rectify his misdeeds.

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Mizo poll officials visit Bru camps

Aizawl, Aug 31 : A team of officials from Mizoram will hear petitions of Bru refugees living in relief camps in Tripura today to include their names in Mizoram’s voters list and issue photo identity cards to them.

The team would cover Naisingpara, Asapara, Hamsapara, Khakchangpara, Kaskau and Hazarchhera transit camps in Tripura, the sources said, adding they were expected to complete the exercise by September 2.

Representatives of Election Commission of India would oversee the works of the Mizoram officials on the spot, where those included in the voters’ list of Mizoram would be issued electoral photo identity cards.

Thousands of Bru refugees have been living in six relief camps in North Tripura district since the latter part of 1997 in the wake of Bru militancy against Mizoram Government, forcing them to migrate to the neighbouring state.

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Singur ripples felt in Northeast

Guwahati, Sep 3 : Ripples of unrest at Singur in neighbouring Bengal over land acquisition were felt in Assam with CMO sources today saying that differences over the compensation package between the district administration and joint landowners was holding up the Centre’s flagship East West Corridor project.

“The headache is not as acute as in Bengal, but at the same time, it cannot be wished away. It has to be tackled carefully as the opposition is not against the project per se. In some cases landowners are unhappy with the compensation package — some have taken the compensation, others have not. In other cases, relatives have moved court seeking a pie of the compensation package, thereby delaying the acquisition without which contracts cannot be issued,” the source said.
Though the deadline to complete the acquisition process was June, things have got bogged down because of the deadlock over the compensation package. The packages vary according to the location of the acquired land and range between Rs 50,000 and Rs 90,000 a bigha, sources said.

They said the issue was discussed threadbare with the deputy commissioners of four districts — Nagaon, Morigaon, Bongaigaon and Barpeta — through which the corridor passes at a specially convened meeting by the chief secretary recently.

A separate meeting was also held with officials of security, home department, railway and the National Highway Authority of India on the situation in the volatile North Cachar Hills, where the project has been delayed because of militancy.

“The deputy commissioners were asked to expedite the acquisition of land within this month,” the source said.

That the completion of the project, along with the gauge conversion project in North Cachar Hills, has become a topmost priority of the government became clear from an hourlong meeting convened by Raj Bhavan this afternoon. Sources privy to the deliberations said Governor S.C. Mathur appealed to all stakeholders to complete the project at the earliest.

“The governor was briefed by the chief secretary as well as security personnel about the progress as well as steps being taken to overcome hurdles. The governor said it would be difficult to get additional security personnel from outside the state and efforts have to be made to tide over the problem from the state’s own resources. Representatives of both the NHAI and railways assured us that work would start in full swing from October,” the source said.

The 678km corridor between Srirampur and Silchar passes through Srirampur, Bijni, Nalbari, Guwahati, Sonapur, Nagaon, Doboka, Lumding, Maibong and Silchar.

NHAI sources said only 75 per cent of the land has been handed over to them by Dispur. “Security has been the other problem but Dispur has assured us of all possible help to put the project on the fast track,” the source said.

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