CM pleas for return of snatched arms, clear roadblocks
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIPR
Imphal, May 31 2023:
Chief Minister N Bi-ren Singh has appealed all parties concerned to return and surrender the arms and ammunition which have been snatched from armed police battalions, police stations, etc.
, in valley and hill districts to the nearest police station/ MR /IRS, etc., and clear-ance of roadblocks so as to provide free passage to security force and relief materials.
In a message, the chief minister said that at a number of locations, the public are violating curfew restrictions and blocking roads and causing immense obstacles to free movement of relief material for inmates in relief camps and also to transportation and movement of security per-sonnel for meeting security threats from illegal armed groups in conflict areas in foothills and interior lo-cations of the state.
Such roadblocks are in-creasing the hardship of our already traumatised people in relief camps, including pregnant wom-en and young children by halting movement of health personnel, medicine, food, milk and water meant for them, the chief minister stated, adding that, such roadblocks are also making it extremely difficult for se-curity and police personnel to respond to attacks by armed groups on time.
"In order to save lives and property of innocent civilians, and to assuage the hardship faced in relief camps, I appeal to the people of Manipur not to cause roadblocks and hin-drances on free movement of security personnel and relief material," CM Biren said.
While appealing for return-ing and surrendering of the arms snatched from security forces at the earliest, the chief minister also cautioned that legal action as per the Arms Act 1959 and Rules will be taken up in case any person is found to be in possession of unauthorised and illegal arms and ammunition dunng combing operations by secu-rity personnel, or otherwise.