Imphal, August 08: Even as Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee have spelt out the reluctance of the Centre to lift the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur, the State Cabinet is likely to meet tomorrow to discuss the possibility of lifting the Disturbed Area Act.

On the other hand, the two Cabinet Ministers and six MLAs of the SPF who had announced that they would resign if the said Act is not lifted by August 15 are still sticking to their guns, making the position all that more difficult for the Chief Minister.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, a well placed source said that the stand of the eight MLAs were conveyed in no uncertain terms during the recent SPF Legislature Wing meeting.

The source said that all the members of the SPF have taken the demand of the people seriously and had asked the Chief Minister to do the needful to assuage the hurt sentiments of the people.

Recalling the recent SPF Legislature wing party, the source said that the Chief Minister also expressed his desire to revoke the said Act but was wary of its effectiveness as the Act is also enforced in many other States of the NE and the Centre always has the authority to re-impose it again.

The Chief Minister is worried that the Centre may step in and impose PR if the said Act is revoked, said the source adding that this is precisely the reason why the Chief Minister has refrained from taking a definite stand till today.

The CM has also acknowledged the sentiments of the people.

Meanwhile the CPI Patsoi Local Council held a meeting today and resolved that pressure should be exerted on the Chief Minister to revoke the Disturbed Area Act from the State.

Strongly endorsing the demand raised by the people, the meeting agreed that the State Govt should not try to side step the issue.

The meeting also called upon the Centre and the State Govt to sit together and chalk out a solution the militancy problem.

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