Imphal, May 10 2009: Doors, windows and other holes of all buildings located to the western side of Governor Road will be closed, said an official notification issued by the Executive Officer of Imphal Municipal Council.

On the other hand, Special Security Guards (SSG) would be taking over as security guards of the Chief Minister.

The new initiative was taken up to enhance security arrangement around the Raj Bhavan, informed a reliable source.

The new initiative was a part of the security measures taken up based on the report submitted by the Committee of Assessing Security Requirement of Raj Bhavan and CM Bungalow.

The committee led by one ADC was set up in the aftermath of a series of bomb attacks in high security zones like the Raj Bhavan, Chief Minister's bungalow, VVIP colony of Babupara and Khwairamband market.

The IMC Executive Officer issued the notification after a meeting was held on the security of Raj Bhavan with the Chief Secretary in the chair on March 26 .

According to the notification, there should not be any kind of opening in the direction of the Raj Bhavan in the first floors and above of all the buildings located between Governor Road and Diamond Galli crossing in the North and the office of the Manipur Handloom and Handicraft Development Cooperative Society Private Limited in the South.

Holes specified in the notification include doors, windows and porticos.

Closing of all these types of holes should be completed within a month counting from the day the notification was issued.

Several other measures recommended by the Committee of Assessing Security Requirement of Raj Bhavan and CM Bungalow have been already implemented.

Some of the recommended measures already implemented included increasing number of flood lights inside Raj Bhavan and CM bungalow complexes, raising height of compound walls, increasing number of watch towers, shifting of DIPR office located adjacent to CM bungalow, shifting of the offices of Treasury, Library and Central Social Welfare Board, located in the neighbourhood of Raj Bhavan.

Re-building work of the burnt down Library has also been suspended under the same security enhancement initiative.

The former DIPR complex has been annexed to the CM bungalow complex.

Under the revised security arrangement around Raj Bhavan, the Governor Road has been closed to traffic from evening to early morning.

Sometime back, all shops located to the western side of Governor Road were forced to close at 4 pm.

Meanwhile, compound wall around the CM's bungalow is being raised at present.

Moreover, the highway to the north of the bungalow is being half-closed every evening till next morning.

Necessary procedure to replace MR and CRPF jawans with SSGs as security guards of the Chief Minister has also been mostly completed.

In case the development works inside the CM bungalow is completed within the current month, SSG personnel may take over security duty of CM from June.

In connection with this arrangement, top officials of CISF have already visited Imphal several times.

Further, necessary process to hand over security cover of Raj Bhavan and the Governor to SSG has been initiated.

The Home Ministry is looking into a proposal sent by the State Government in this regard.

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