Amid efforts by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to quell the situation in Manipur, Senior IPS officer Rajiv Singh was on Thursday appointed the new Director General of Police of the state, replacing P Doungel, an official order said.
On May 30, Singh, who was working as an inspector general with the CRPF, has been sent to Manipur on inter-cadre deputation for three years, as per an order of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
"The undersigned is directed to refer to the subject cited above and to convey the approval of Appointments Committee of the Cabinet for Inter-cadre deputation of Shri Rajiv Singh, IPS (TR:93), presently working as IG, CRPF, from Tripura cadre to Manipur cadre for a period of three years from the date of joining, in relaxation of the policy as a special case in public interest," the union home ministry order had said.
Other measures announced by MHA
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said a judicial probe headed by a retired high court chief justice to inquire into clashes which erupted in the northeastern state of Manipur, will soon be announced.
At a press conference held on Thursday, he also announced that a peace committee under the Governor of Manipur Anusuiya Uikey which will have representatives of all political parties, besides representatives from both Kuki and Meitei communities and social organisations will be set up. "Dialogue is the only solution to the ongoing crisis in Manipur," Shah said. "We will soon announce a judicial probe headed by a retired high court chief justice and set up a peace committee," he said.
The Home Minister also announced that a CBI probe will be instituted to investigate five criminal conspiracies and one general conspiracy behind the violence in Manipur. He, however, also said, "Violence was a temporary phase, misunderstandings will go away ... the situation will soon be normal."
He also said that education officials will reach the state and will have discussions to provide uninterrupted education facilities to the students. "Online education and examination will be held as per plan," he said.
Soon after the violence broke out in the state on May 3, the central government appointed former chief of the CRPF Kuldiep Singh as a security adviser to the Manipur government.
Manipur, which has been hit by ethnic conflict for nearly a month, witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes and firing between militants and security forces on Sunday, after a relative lull for over a fortnight.The death toll from clashes since ethnic violence began on May 3 has gone up to 80, officials said.
Ethnic violence first broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.
(With inputs from PTI)
