Imphal, Nov 3 (IANS): Ahead of the next year's Assembly elections, the Manipur government has asked people to deposit their firearms immediately, otherwise legal action would be taken against them, officials said on Tuesday.

A Manipur Home Department official said that District Magistrate of all 16 districts have been asked to issue separate notifications asking the people to deposit the arms immediately in the nearest police stations.

The Department notification asked the people to deposit all licenced guns and weapons to the police stations concerned at the earliest in the interest of maintaining law and order in the context of the forthcoming state Assembly elections.

"Those who do not deposit the arms and ammunition... the licensee is liable to be punished for violation of state government instructions under the relevant provisions of the Arms Act, 1959, read with Arms Rules 2016," the notification said.

During the past one month many people were injured, including some with bullet wounds, in several incidents of violence as various political parties undertook various campaign programmes in different parts of the northeastern state.

Elections to the 60-seat Manipur assembly are likely to be held in February-March next year along with the polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Goa.

The Election Commission has already started various exercises to hold the elections in the state.