Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Thursday met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla soon after returning from New Delhi, where he had held discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on a range of issues concerning the state.
An official from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that Singh also conducted separate meetings with senior civil and Army officials, during which multiple matters were deliberated, including key security concerns. Sources indicated that the meeting between the Governor and the Chief Minister largely focused on the prevailing law and order situation in Manipur.
According to local media reports, the meeting may also be linked to a possible expansion of the state cabinet, with seven ministerial positions currently lying vacant. Sources further revealed that the Chief Minister briefed the Governor on recent security developments, including the proposal to raise an additional battalion of Manipur Rifles (an India Reserve Battalion Mahila unit) aimed at strengthening the state’s policing capacity.
This move follows an assurance from the Union Home Minister. The Chief Minister had earlier rushed to the national capital on Tuesday (March 31) after being summoned by the Union Home Minister. The CMO official stated that during the meeting held at the Parliament House complex on Wednesday, the Union Home Minister directed the Manipur Chief Minister to accelerate the ongoing peace process and further strengthen the improving relations among various communities in the state.
The official added that a detailed review of the law and order situation in Manipur was conducted during the meeting. “The Union Home Minister reviewed the current security scenario in Manipur with the Chief Minister. He also instructed him to expedite ongoing peace initiatives and consolidate the improving relations among different communities,” the CMO official said.
During the discussions, the Union Home Minister also granted in-principle approval for the raising of a Manipur Rifles unit (the Mahila unit of the India Reserve Battalion) and asked the Chief Minister to submit a formal proposal for the same.
On February 22, Chief Minister Khemchand Singh, accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho, had met the Union Home Minister to discuss several key issues, including the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by ethnic violence.