SoO agreement stands : CM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 08 2024: Chief Minister N Biren stated that the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement should be assumed as still operational even though the State Government has withdrawn from the agreement.

Significantly there has been no report on whether SoO has been extended or not after its term expired on February 29 this yerar.

The Chief Minister made this statement in the State Assembly today in a response to a query raised by Opposition MLA K Ranjit.

In the meantime, police have registered FIRs against 137 cadres of SoO groups for indulging in unlawful activities and three cadres have been arrested.

Being a part of India, the State Government cannot always act on what it thinks is right, Biren said before pointing out that SoO is a tripartite agreement.

On seeing the unacceptable activities of the SoO cadres, the State Government decided to withdraw from the SoO agreement.

Subsequently, the State Assembly adopted a resolution in favour of abrogating the SoO agreement and the same was forwarded to the Centre, Biren said.

Even as the State Government has withdrawn from the SoO agreement, it should be assumed that the agreement is still operational because the Government of India has not yet withdrawn from the agreement, the Chief Minister stated.

At the same time, the Government of India is respecting the State Assembly's resolution by not extending the term of the SoO agreement, he said.

"We don't believe the Central Government will act against the State Government", Biren said.

To another query raised by Th Lokeshwar, the Chief Minister informed the House that FIRs have been registered against 412 people for poppy cultivation.

From 2017 till March, 2024, 69 poppy cultivators, 16 village chiefs and two investors were arrested.

Moreover, 16,788 acres of poppy plantations were destroyed.

Poppy cultivation is quite similar to dealing to drugs.

As such, the NDPS Act is applied to people arrested in connection with poppy cultivation, he said.

To replace poppy with other crops, several schemes have been launched for farmers under Horticulture and Agriculture Departments, he added.

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