Biren hopes to lure militants away from path of violence; New surrender policy from April

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IFP News

IMPHAL | Feb 13 : Chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh today informed the state Assembly that a new comprehensive surrender and rehabilitation policy will be finalised and implemented from April this year.

Responding to deliberations on the demand for demands for grants, for the police department amounting to Rs. 1422. 21 crore for the next fiscal, Biren said that the new policy is being finalised by the Centre and assured that the revised rehabilitation package will attract militants to come back to the mainstream.

The Biren cabinet in May last year had decided to increase the monthly stipend of the surrendered insurgents from Rs. 4000 to Rs 8000 for a period of three years. Out of the Rs. 8000, Rs. 2000 shall be counted as ration money.

One time financial grant provided by the government to the surrendered militants would be increased from Rs. 2.50 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh. This amount will be kept as fixed deposit in the bank account of the surrendered militant and its withdrawal will be allowed after three years.

Biren, who is in-charge of home department, said the Centre is examining the proposal of the state government and also consulting rehabilitation policies of other states of the Northeast.

In response to cases of alleged harassment of militants who had come back to normalcy and family life by police by visiting their homes frequently to extract personnel benefits Biren warned police stations and police officers against continuing such practice. “Such actions of the police will compel the former militants to go back to jungle life,” he said.

Cut motions were put moved by members from the Opposition bench Govindas Konthoujam, K. Ranjit, Abdul Nasir and others. Opposition members Th. Lokeshwor Singh, K. Meghachandra Singh, Kh. Joykishan Singh, Dr. Chaltonlien Amo and Ranjit Singh took part in the discussion.

Abdul wanted to know whether the bandh imposed by the MoU signatories yesterday was right or not and what agreements were made if the said bandh is illegal.

The Opposition members charged that police department have failed in maintaining law and order, in controlling crimes against women, in taking action against corrupt persons, action against vehicle thefts and committed irregularities in giving ex-gratia for deceased security personnel.

Lokeshwar demanded that fire stations should be opened in the hill and rural areas. Meghachandra charged that construction of fire-substation has been delayed and so pleaded to accelerate the construction process accordingly.

In response Biren said that it will soon allocate the area in priority basis and accordingly open fire stations. Rs. 13,85,45,000 was released for the said department, he said.

Giving clarifications to Ranjit, Biren said that the recent bomb blasts cases will be handed over to NIA. He justified that it is not because of inefficiency of the of the state police in investigations.

He also said that investigation officers, bomb experts, CCTV cameras, forensic equipments will be

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