Imphal, May 16: The State Cabinet has today decided that talks with the Kuki UG groups over the ground rules for the Suspension of Operations will begin from May 19.The venue for the political talks with the groups covered by the SoO, after the ground rules arc okayed, is yet to be finalised, said a source.

Apart from representatives of the Government of India, members of the United Progressive Front (UPF) which is the apex body of the Kuki UG groups which have entered the SoO and Kuki National Organisation (KNO) would be participating in the talks.

Speaking to The Sangai Express a source said that officials from the State Government, including the Chief Secretary, DGP and IG (Intll) will leave for Delhi on May 18 to hold talks on the ground rules for the SoO with officials of the Union Home Ministry on May 19.'The SoO talk will be tripartite,' said the source and added that the parties to be involved are the Union Government, State Government and representatives of the UPF and KNO.

The ground rules chalked out by the State Government were submitted during a meeting held at Delhi in February this year, said the source and added that its salient features included, 'Not compromising on the territorial integrity of the State as well as holding the talks with the UPF and SoO under the Constitution of India.' The other condition laid down by the State Government for the ground rules was that a Monitoring Cell should be set up and it should be headed by a police officer of the State Government not under the rank of an Additional DG of Police, said the source.

These two points have been opposed by the UPF and KNO said the source and added that the armed groups have demanded that the Monitoring Cell should be headed by an officer hand picked by the Union Home Ministry.

The armed groups have also demanded free movement of their cadres.

However the State Government has stuck to its stand and has refused to budge from its stand, said the source.

All these points were discussed at the Cabinet meeting held today, said the source and added that the State officials will proceed to Delhi armed with the decisions of the Cabinet.

Commencing from 5.30 pm, today's two and half hours long Cabinet meeting, also thoroughly discussed issues related to providing necessary escorts to the UPF and KNO members for coming to Imphal and participate in the talks, tabling of the ground rules formulated and already approved by the SPF Cabinet on February 2 and sticking to the stand of implementing the same.

It may be recalled here that along with signing of the SoO with the Kuki outfits with the Army India under the initiative of the then Chief of the Army Staff General JJ Singh in 2005, efforts were made to hold the talks at the Government level.

Among other issues discussed during the meeting today, the Cabinet has approved giving scholarship at the rate of Rs 1000 per month for three years to 300 meritorious students who secured highest marks and secured positions in the recently declared class XII examination of the Council of Higher Secondary School, Manipur.

The scholarship is to be given to the students to help them in their higher studies.

In connection with the demand of the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) for maintaining the status quo on reservation of seats for ST candidates in Manipur University even after its conversion into a Central University, the Cabinet decided So exert necessary pressures on the Central Government in this regard.

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