About 200 insurgents active in Manipur have surrendered before the government and many others will follow suit in the next three months, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said.
One hundred and ninety-seven cadres of United Revolutionary Front (URF), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and two factions of Kanglei Yawal Kanna Lup (KYKL) laid down their arms on February 13.
The result is a part of a major initiative being taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the government of Manipur to rehabilitate militants fighting against the state, he said.
The URF, comprising various factions of KCP and its military wing, Manipur Army (MA) have agreed to the surrender of its cadres within the next three months, Shinde told reporters here during a monthly press conference.
About 80 cadres of two factions of KYKL-- Athouba and Achouba-- will surrender over a period of three months, he said.
"The gradual improvement in the security situation in northeast and bonding with the people of that area is important for emotional integration in the long-term security interests of the country," he said.
Giving details of activities taken by his ministry, Shinde said it has approved proposal from two companies to train over 5,400 youths in militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir.
"The project appraisal committee on February 27 approved the proposals from Pinkerton C&I India to train 425 candidates and Rooman Technologies to train 5,000 candidates in five years under the scheme-Special Industry Initiatives (SII-J&K)) known as Udaan," he said.
He said Rs 44.62 crore was released to Bihar for construction or strengthening of fortified police stations.
"From January 21 to February 20 this year, Narcotics Control Bureau seized 373.692 kg of cannabis herb, 83 kg of opium, 33 kg of heroin and 20 kg of hashish and arrested a total of 19 people," Shinde added.
