Daijiworld Media Network - Imphal

Imphal, Mar 5: In response to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s appeal, 48 more looted weapons, including sophisticated arms, were surrendered to the police in the past 24 hours, officials confirmed.

Police sources reported that on Wednesday alone, 32 weapons and a substantial cache of ammunition were turned in across multiple districts. An additional 16 arms and a large stock of ammunition were returned to security forces, including the Manipur Police, on Tuesday.

Since Governor Bhalla first urged civilians to surrender illegally held weapons on February 20, over 771 firearms, many of them advanced, have been recovered. However, reports indicate that during the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 3, 2023, more than 6,000 sophisticated weapons and lakhs of rounds of ammunition were looted from police stations and outposts by mobs and armed groups.

While security forces have retrieved a significant portion of these stolen arms, efforts continue to recover the remaining stockpile.

On February 28, Governor Bhalla extended the voluntary surrender deadline to March 6 at 4 p.m., citing positive public response. He warned that after the deadline, anyone found in possession of illegal weapons would face strict legal action. During the grace period, those surrendering arms voluntarily will not be subject to prosecution.

Meanwhile, the Governor chaired a high-level review meeting at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday to assess the progress of national highway projects in Manipur.

M.S. Deval, Executive Director of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), presented an update on ongoing highway construction projects across the state, highlighting key logistical and operational challenges. Governor Bhalla directed officials to expedite work and resolve bottlenecks to ensure timely project completion.

The meeting was attended by Inspector General of CRPF Rajendra Narayan Das, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, and the Secretary of the Manipur Land Resources Department.

Additionally, members of the Red Cross Society’s Senapati District Branch met with the Governor to discuss challenges in their humanitarian efforts. Bhalla commended their dedication and assured them of necessary support.