Imphal, Jan 30 (IANS): In around 21 months since the ethnic strife in Manipur broke out in May 2023, the state government on Wednesday carried out major changes in both police and general administrations, officials said.
According to the orders issued by Manipur Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh as many as 70 officers, comprising senior IAS, IPS and Manipur Civil Service officers were transferred and posted in new places and departments.
While 10 IPS and Manipur police service officers are transferred and allotted new postings, as many as 60 bureaucrats including IAS and Manipur civil services have been shuffled.
Manipur Hill and Valley has witnessed an ethnic divide due to the ethnic riot between the Meitai and the Kuki-Zo tribals. Leaders of several organisations have alleged that even the administration and police are divided on ethnic lines following the ethnic violence.
On January 3 former Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla took charge as Governor of Manipur. He took over from Lakshman Prasad Acharya who was Governor of Assam and in addition looked after the gubernatorial charge of Manipur.
Prashant Kumar Singh, a 1993-batch IAS officer joined as the Chief Secretary of the trouble-torn state on January 15 replacing Vineet Joshi. He was Secretary of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
In Wednesday's order, Senior IAS officer Paulunthang Vaiphei has been appointed as the Additional Chief Secretary. IPS officer Rakesh Balwal, currently Superintendent of Police of Thoubal district transferred as the SP Imphal East district.
At least 250 people have been killed and over a thousand people injured in the ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki-Zo and the non-tribal Meitei people since May 3, 2023.
More than 60,000 people have been displaced from their homes and villages and have been staying in relief camps in different districts for the past 21 months.
The ethnic violence between the non-tribals Meiteis and tribal Kuki-Zo broke out in the northeastern state on May 3, 2023, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.