Imphal Feb 19 MNS/Agencies: Amidst the growing demands for government revealing the owners of contraband drugs worth over Rs 1.3 crore seized recently from the Imphal airport, Manipur government Tuesday decided to handover the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
On January 11 last, a huge consignment of contraband drugs was seized by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of Imphal West district police from Imphal airport. Interestingly, on the next day of the seizure of the drug, the police inspector who led the SIT in recovering the drug was transport besides abolishing the SIU by an order of the Imphal West SP.
Briefing to reporters after the cabinet meeting, Gaikhangam said that the state government took the decision considering the need for a transparency in dealing with the case and to arrest the smugglers as the seizure of the contraband item has became an issue to the state.
In Manipur a very serious trend of drugs is going on, for the last few months a huge quantity of drugs worth crores of rupees has been seized in the state from Imphal airport and post office. However, in almost all the cases the police could not identify owners of the seized drugs, he asserted.
Taking a serious note in this regard, the state government has decided to hand over the cases to the CBI, the home minister said.
Not only the recent seizure at Imphal airport but other cases related with the seizure of huge contraband drugs in the state by the police or its narcotic cells would be handed over to the CBI, he added.
The deputy chief minister was of the opinion that drug smuggling menace in the state was more serious than that of insurgency problem. He said that drug abuse could eliminate the society, the state as a whole. As such government took the matter seriously.
Gaikhangam further said that the drug consignment was meant for export to Myanmar.
Regarding the abolition of SIU, he said the state government has never recognized which was set up by the SP Imphal West under his power. He has certain power to establish or demolished the same, he clarified.
Manipur state Cabinet has decided to set up a language board “Directorate of Language, Promotion and Implementation” in the state on Tuesday.
Terming the decision as a landmark step by the state Cabinet, Education minister and Government spokesperson M Okendro said since the inclusion of the Manipuri language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution in 1992, the people have been longing for a language directorate in the state.
The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister O Ibobi at the Cabinet Hall in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat discussed 19 different agenda, Okendro told journalists.
He said the language directorate will be headed by an IAS officer who will be assisted by an officer of Manipur Finance Department.
The Cabinet has also decided to hold the Combined Civil Service exam under Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) regularly from next year.
It has further decided to recruit 91 different posts, including 22 Manipur Civil Service (MCS) posts, 25 Manipur Police Service (MPS), 28 Manipur Finance Service (MFS), 15 SDCs and one Election officer.
He added that the Cabinet has also decided to hand over the case of Tulihal Airport drugs seizure to the CBI and to intimate the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister about the matter through a letter.
The Central leaders will be requested to instruct the Indian Aviation Authority to look into such illegal shipment of contraband drugs by flights, he said.
It has also approved regularization of the two adhoc Fast Track Courts in the state.
Allotment of 3 acres of land for Mary Kom Academy has also been approved by the Cabinet, he added.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/cabinet-decides-to-hand-over-drug-seizure-case-to-cbi-2/
