Imphal, February 28 2009: A fourth round meeting of the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) on Saturday agreed to issue the ID cards for the cadres of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF), two umbrella organisations of about twenty Kuki outfits, under the Suspension of Operation (SoO).

The JMG also approved of eleven designated camps of the organisations, five for KNO and six for the UPF.

Held at the 1st Manipur Rifles complex in Imphal on Saturday afternoon, the meeting was attended by Mr.Navin Verman, joint secretary of the ministry of Home affairs, North East region, representing the central government, DS Poonia, chairman of JMG, Inspector General (Intelligence) Khaute representing the state with various other representatives from the SIB, BSF and the army.

The meeting after having discussed on the issue of ID cards to the cadres to the KNO and UPF which the organisations had submitted agreed to issue them after having verified them.

The meeting also agreed the UPF's demand for a designated camp at Laijangphai in Churachandpur district which had actually failed in the past meetings.

Besides agreeing with the setting up of the designated camps, the JMG also approved to sanction the necessary amount for the construction of five designated camps of the KNO and six camps of the UPF.

On the issue of stipends for the cadres, the JMG held that the amount Rs.3000/ each to the cadres of the two outfits would be started only after the cadres start staying in their designated camps.

The JMG also reminded the outfits of the ground rules such as 'no moving out of the camps in uniforms or with weapons' and 'no extortions or taxes' too.

The JMG also discussed on the rules and punishment pertaining to violation of the SoO ground rules.

It may be reminded here that the SoO was first signed between the government of Manipur and the two Kuki outfits on August 22 last on the ground rules that the Kuki outfits would give up extortion and illegal collection of taxes besides giving up on violence by being confined to their designated camps.

Under the ground rules the outfits are not to leave their camps in uniforms or armed.

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