Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 27 2009:
With the initiation of the Army and the AR to facilitate flushing out UGs from Loktak lake and smooth conduct of the operation, the State Govt would be issuing identity cards to the fishermen.
Disclosing this to The Sangai Express, a top officer of the State Police Department informed that the Government has started taking up necessary steps to issue identity cards to the fishermen following the initiative of the Army and the Assam Rifles who felt that it would help in flushing out the UGs from Loktak apart from ensuring smooth conduct of the operation.
The State Government discussed the matter seriously and the identity cards would be issued to all the fishermen living on the floating biomasses of the lake as well as in the surrounding area, the police officer, informed.
The police officer, however, declined from giving comments on when issuing of identity cards to the fishermen would begin.
It may be recalled here that the State Govt has also already taken up necessary measures to set up a Loktak Protection Force and procuring two Hovercrafts with funding from the Union Home Ministry so as to aid in the operation of flushing out UG elements from the lake.
Meanwhile, a meeting chaired by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh today has discussed steps to be taken up to prevent instances of abducting Government officials and bomb attacks at their residences by UGs.
Chief Secretary DS Poonia, DGP Y Joykumar and other top police officers attended the meeting during which the Chief Minister has also given instruction to all concerned for taking up necessary measures in this regard in addition to the security arrangements in place to contain the law and order situation in the aftermath of the public protest over the July 23 Khwairamband Bazar incident.