Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Govt plans Heirok-style recruits in valley districts Imphal, Jan 1: The 301 special police officers (SPOs) recruited by the Okram Ibobi Singh government to protect Heirok in Manipur’s Thoubal district in June last year are yet to be assigned any duties. However, while the SPOs await their call, the state government is planning to recruit more such officers from different parts of the four valley districts. Sources said the Union home ministry had agreed to a proposal by the government to recruit 1,500 SPOs. This includes the 301 officers already trained to protect Heirok. The Heirok SPOs completed six months of training at the Manipur Police Training School on December 30 and were taken back to their village the same day. The SPOs, who were given a two-day holiday, will report back tomorrow morning at the India Reserve Battalion post at Heirok. Sources said the police could use the officers to patrol areas in and around Heirok. A source said unlike the Heirok SPOs, the officers who wo...

Hundreds turn up for physical test: Imphal, May 5: With the Government deciding to provide arms to the people of Heirok for their self defence, the recruitment drive for selecting 300 Special Police Officers started on Monday with the physical test held at Heirok Part II Mela Ground from 8 am to 4 pm. Personally supervised by DGP Y Joykumar, the physical test was conducted in the presence of Thoubal SP, Clay Khongsai, officers of Thoubal police and officers from the IRB. Candidates aspiring to be SPOs at Heirok wait for their turn for the physical test From early morning, hundreds of aspirants started streaming to the Mela Ground to take part in the physical test armed with the needed documents and waited for their turns in a long queue. Altogether 460 candidates applied for the posts of the 300 SPOs. After screening through the applications, only candidates who have passed Matric and above were shortlisted, as per the norms laid down by the Government. This however did not go down we...

Chajing, Heirok public hail Govt. decision: Imphal, May 3: The SPF Government's decision to arm public of Heirok and Chajing to defend themselves from militants have evoked widespread appreciation. people of Heirok and Chajing had been demanding that State Government provide them guns after activists of different armed groups killed four persons some times back. Conceding to the people's demand State authorities lobbied with the Central Government representatives and the latter reportedly approved the proposal for one year on trial basis which will include establishment of 500 posts of Special Police Officers (SPOs) out of which Heirok will have 300 SPOs. The arm provision would be closely monitored by the Union Home Ministry and if the outcome is positive the period is likely to be extended in phased manner. Close on the heels of the Cabinet decision to provide arms to the public of Heirok and Chajing, the Director General of Police Y Joykumar made a personal assessment of pos...

Cabinet agrees to provide guns to Heirok, Chajing: Imphal, May 2: The State Cabinet during a meeting held on Friday with the Chief Minister in the chair has decided to accede to the demands of the Heirok and Chajing people to provide them guns after creating posts of Special Police Officers (SPOs). The demands to issue guns to the people of Heirok and Chajing were raised following the slaying of three people and injuring another by opening fire by PREPAK cadres at a Thabal Chongba venue at Heirok and killing of a 53 year old man by KCP (MTF) at Chajing Konjeng Leikai. A senior Cabinet Minister of the SPF Government informed The Sangai Express that provisions of guns to the people will be provided after creating the posts of SPOs as was done in Jammu and Kashmir. After deliberating on the matter for about three hours, the State Cabinet adopted a concrete decision in this regard and resolved to activate SPOs from June 12 . For Heirok, 300 SPOs will be recruited while Chajing will have 20...