NEW DELHI, Jan 31 � Advising candidates who contested in the Manipur Assembly polls to be cautious, Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram said Centre is unhappy with the NSCN (I-M) over its role in the recent polls.
Acknowledging that the Central Government has reports of NSCN (I-M) cadres indulging in violence, Chidambaram said he condemns the violence in strongest terms and this has been conveyed to the NSCN (I-M) leadership.
Pointing towards the trend of post-poll violence in Manipur, the Home Minister advised caution to the poll candidates. �I have told the candidates to remain safe,� he said.
After the last round of Assembly polls, some 15 persons were killed in post-election violence in the State.
Meanwhile, on January 9, the first meeting of the Committee on Chakma-Hajongs was held at Itanagar to examine various issues relating to settlement and grant of Indian citizenship to eligible Chakmas and Hajongs, the Home Minister said.
�It is difficult for me to give the numbers. The idea is to help them settle in the areas, where they are already there and give them Indian citizenship. Details would be worked out in subsequent meeting,� Chidambaram said.
Describing the recent border incident, when BSF jawans beat up an intruder on camera, as unfortunate, Chidambaram said that after his visit to Bangladesh, there has been no incident of firing across the border. This was an isolated incident and on the same day, the jawans were identified and suspended. An inquiry has been ordered. �I have already assured Bangladesh that anyone found guilty would be punished severely,� he said.
About the progress of works along the India-Bangladesh Border, Chidambaram reported that 5 km of fencing and 5 km of road works were completed under phase II of the project and 6 km of fencing were replaced under phase III of the project. Poles for floodlighting were erected on a length of 30 km and cables were laid on15 km stretch during the month.
On India-China border construction of 23 roads of a total length 700 km is in progress. During the month, 5 km of formation works and 2.16 km of surfacing works were completed. So far, a total of 467 km of formation works and 160.16 km of surfacing works have been completed, he said.
