Imphal, October 30: State DGPAA Siddiqui today stated that the Molcham police station which was burnt down some months back will be shifted to Joupi village in Churachandpur district while Waikhong police station will be shifted to Langmeidong.

He told The Sangai Express today that the Molcham police station located near the Indo-Myanmar border is strategically important.

But it has been being manned by just a few personnel without weapons after it was burnt down by unidentified persons.

The new station at Joupi will be manned by MR personnel and adequate weapons and wireless sets will be provided.

The Waikhong police station which has also be remaining functionless will be shifted to a Government building in Langmeidong and upgraded for better maintenance of law and order, Siddiqui said.

He said that most of the police stations from where militants had snatched weapons have been provided with enough weapons for their protection.

The Kumbi po1ice station has started functioning after a BSF post had been set up there.

The Singhat police station has also been attached to the BSF post for proper functioning, he added.

Stating that he has inspected most of the police stations in the State for repairing and upgradation, he expressed concern at the non-functioning stations in the hill districts.

Except for a few police stations located at the district headquarters, no other stations in the hills have been registering cases very well.

The Tengnoupal police station has registered just 14 cases till date.

He also said that the hill police stations have not been provided weapons.

There is always the fear 'that militants may snatch arms from the station, he added.

To a question why commando personnel are not utilized in the hills, the DGP said that it could not be done as the 500 commando personnel sanctioned by the Government is not sufficient.

He also admitted that insurgency is more active in the hill areas.

To another query, Siddiqui replied that no police station has been abolished till date.

There is no proposal for setting up new ones either, he said but agreed that most of the police station buildings have become rickety.

He recalled that unidentified persons burnt down the police stations at Singhat, Molcham and Waikhong and the Sugnu police station was demolished by gunmen.

However, according to reports, certain police stations are running without adequate arms and personnel after vehicles and arms had been withdrawn from there.

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