Imphal, October 24: Along with serious deliberation on the prevailing law and order situation in the State, a meeting of the State Cabinet has given necessary instructions to the Home Department for taking up necessary measures for containing the situation.

According to a senior Cabinet Minister, the Cabinet meeting held this evening in the Cabinet room of the Secretariat with Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh in the chair took serious note of the recent spurt in violent incidents like killing of people by unidentified gunmen, grenade attacks at the residences of Government officials and abduction for ransom as well as frequent calling of bandhs and blockades along the National Highways passing through the State.

It may be noted here that taking a grim note of the spurt in killing across the State during the last few days, Governor Dr SS Sidhu yesterday called up Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh who is also in charge of Home, Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh, DGP Y Joykumar and Principal Secretary (Home) BPO Warjiri to discuss the issue and the steps taken up by the Government in this regard.

Today's Cabinet meeting reflected what were transpired during the meeting with the Governor yesterday and discussed necessary steps to be taken up for containing the law and order situation, the senior Cabinet Minister said, adding that according the Home Department has been given necessary instructions in this connection.

Meanwhile, another source said that even if the Government has not made public the steps to be taken up for containing the law and order situation and escalating crimes in the State, necessary strategies have already been worked out by the Government.

The Senior Cabinet Minister further informed that today's Cabinet meeting also discussed the problems being faced by the people due to frequent calling of bandhs and blockades in the State and decided to initiate legal action against the sponsors of such bandhs and blockades along with promulgation of the relevant legislation at the earliest possible.

The Cabinet meeting has also decided not to make any more appeals to the sponsors of bandh and blockades but to take up action against them with effect from October 26, the senior Cabinet Minister said, adding that the legal action to be initiated against the bandh and blockade sponsors might be in evocation of the provisions of National Security Act.

To fill up the vacant post of the Government Advocate after the appointment of Ashok Potsangbam as the Judge of Guwahati High Court, today's Cabinet meeting has also recommended for appointment of Senior Advocate Nongmeikapam Koteshwar as the Government Advocate, the senior Cabinet Minister disclosed. Along with discussion on issue related to setting up National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Langol area, the Cabinet meeting has also approved the land evaluation for requisition of the required land.

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