New surrender policy in place in Manipur: Shinde
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 01 2013:
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has informed that a new special scheme for surrender-cum-rehabilitation of militants in the State of Manipur has been framed and implemented with effect from December 1, 2012 .
Addressing a press conference in connection with releasing the report of the Union Home Ministry for the month of July at New Delhi today, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde explained that under the new scheme, the benefits/incentives include immediate grant of Rs.2.5 lakhs, monthly stipend of Rs.4000/- for 36 months, incentives for surrendered weapons, imparting vocational training to the surrenderees and establishment of rehabilitation camps for surrenderees.
He went on to inform that three Meitei insurgent groups in Manipur have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of India and the State Government of Manipur on February 13, 2013 and laid down their arms.
A total of 197 cadres of these groups laid 138 arms of different kind.
The leaders and cadres who have joined the peace process will be rehabilitated as per the rehabilitation policy notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs and approved by the State Cabinet of Manipur.
The three groups are, first, United Revolutionary Front (URF), comprising various factions of Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and its military wing, Manipur Army (MA) .
This group comprised of URF and KCP (Lanheiba), KCP (Chingkheingnanba) and KCP (Sunil Meitei).
The second group is KCP (Lamphel) comprising three factions of KCP, namely KCP (Lamphel), KCP (City Meitei) and KCP (Taibanganba); and the third group comprised two factions of Kanglei Yawal Kanna Lump (KYKL) namely, Athouba faction and Achouba faction, the Union Home Minister said.
He further informed that United Peoples' Party of Kangleipak (UPPK), a valley based insurgent group in Manipur signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on May 25, 2013 and 80 cadres of the militant group joined the peace process and surrendered their arms.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Government of India, Government of Manipur and United Tribal's Liberation Front (UTLA-SK Thadou group) on July 17,2013 .
United Tribal Liberation Army (UTLA) (S.K Group) surrendered with 34 cadres and 25 weapons, Shinde added.
With regard to Indo-Myanmar Border, the Union Home Minister said that the Government of India, plan to implement a project for creation of border Infrastructure i.e.construction of 4585 Km of roads, 113 helipads and two helibases, along Indo-Myanmar Border during the period 2013-2025 in two phases.
In Phase I (during 2013-18 ) construction of 1417 Km roads, 56 helipads and two helibases will be undertaken and the work of construction of remaining 3168 Km roads and 57 helipads will be taken up in Phase II from 2018-2025 after completion of Phase I .