![Manipur MLAs urge PM for budgetary arrangements for development of Kuki-Zo areas Manipur MLAs urge PM for budgetary arrangements for development of Kuki-Zo areas](https://m.economictimes.com/thumb/msid-114589004,width-1200,height-900,resizemode-4,imgsize-155112/manipur-kuki-zo-mlas-petition-governor-to-set-aside-hill-areas-committee.jpg)
Manipur MLAs urge PM for budgetary arrangements for development of Kuki-Zo areas
PTI, IMPHAL, DECEMBER 11, 2024 : Ten Kuki-Zo legislators of Manipur have requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "budgetary arrangements" to fund development projects in districts inhabited by the community. They reiterated their demand for separate administration in the form of a Union territory and called for expediting political dialogue at the earliest to resolve the ethnic conflict in the state.
In a memorandum addressed to the PM on Tuesday, the MLAs alleged that the Kuki-Zo community has faced discrimination at the hands of the state government, depriving them of not just development but also essential supplies.
"It (state government) failed to ensure even supply of life-saving drugs and other essential supplies to our people on diktats of radicalized (Imphal) Valley-based organisations. Our people do not disrupt the movement of vehicles carrying essential items in Kangpokpi district on the advice of the central government, but the Meiteis, with full knowledge of the state government, do not allow such supplies to our people in the hill districts," the MLAs alleged.
"We would like to reiterate and place our people's political aspiration for a separate administration in the form of a Union territory with legislature for your serious and timely consideration," the memorandum stated.
The MLAs also strongly protested the delay in political dialogue on "mere pretexts and technicalities" over extension of SoO (Suspension of Operations) with 25 Kuki militant groups represented by two umbrella bodies — the Kuki National Organisation and the United Peoples Front — at the "behest of the biased and communalized Manipur government and Meitei civil society organisations."
The SoO is a tripartite agreement signed on August 22, 2008, between the Centre, the Manipur government, and Kuki militant outfits to initiate political dialogue with the insurgents.
"We condemn attempts to create divisions within our people by proposals to discontinue the SoO with select armed groups. The Suspension of Operations agreement was aimed at resolving political issues and ushering in peace, and it is against the very spirit of the agreement if the government is hesitant to extend the SoO with select armed groups within the SoO framework," the memorandum stated.
Alleging that the state government has deprived the Kuki-Zo people of development funds, the MLAs stated, "We urge the central government to kindly make interim planning mechanisms and budgetary arrangements to fund the much-needed development projects in the districts predominantly inhabited by our people, pending a final solution through political dialogue."
The MLAs also alleged that the hill districts were left out of the recently approved construction of 57 roads in Manipur, for which funds amounting to Rs 201.50 crore have been sanctioned under the Central Roads and Infrastructure Fund, the memorandum stated. It also claimed that the state government has left out affected hill districts for funding of central financial assistance under the Prime Minister's Development Initiative for North Eastern Region (PM-DevINE) amounting to Rs 104.6 crore.
The MLAs, while seeking an audience with the Prime Minister, said their areas continued to be attacked by armed militants. More than 250 people in Manipur have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.
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