Imphal, January 20 2010: State Home Department has asked the state police department to crackdown on KCP(MC)-Lamyanba Khuman, the group which recently imposed a ban imposed to the Airtel Mobile Company.

The state home department's directive issued on January 15 last was part of a follow up action to a telefax message from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs asking to provide adequate security to the private mobile phone operators in Manipur and submit an action taken report to the ministry on January 5 last.

Taking serious note on the extortion activities of the underground outfits and imposition of ban on the Airtel Mobile Company by KCP (MC) Lamyanba Khuman, Union government asked the state government to furnish the detailed report of action taken up for security of the private enterprises, official source said today.

Extortion activities of the underground outfits have been a detriment to the growth of private enterprises and has adversely affected the economic development of the state, the telefax message was addressed to the state Chief Secretary, DS Poonia from Under Secretary SM Kandwal, Ministry of Home Affairs observed.

The telefax further asked the state government to provide security to mobile service operators in the state taking into account the recently banned imposed on the functioning of Airtel Mobile Company and furnished a detailed report on the steps taken up by the state government to provide security to the mobile service operators in the state at the earliest.

Mention may be made that in the aftermath of killing two cadres of the group who were among kidnappers of two officials of the Airtel Mobile Company based in Imphal, the KCP (MC)-Lamyanba Khuman imposed a ban on the mobile services of the mobile operator through a press release to the media in Imphal.

The security forces had killed to members of the group in rescued operations launched against the kidnappers in the last week of December 2009 .

MHA also informed the state government that earlier also, there was instance of shutting down of the Airtel Mobile Towers located at Naoremthong, Khumbong, Moidangpok in Imphal west district and Sawombung in Imphal East district for not fulfilling its extortion demand.

A copy of the clipping from newspaper "The Hindu (Delhi) dated on January 1, 2010 which reported the ban on the mobile operator was also attached, the source maintained.

On the received of the telefax, state home department had on January 15 last asked the state police chief, DGP to provide adequate security to the mobile service operators to the state and to crackdown on KCP(MC)-Lamyanba faction to check its activities, official source said today.

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