Imphal: Prime Minister Manmohon Singh and
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrived here on Saturday on a day's
visit to Manipur, official sources said.
The VVIPs were received at the Imphal airport by
Governor Gurbachan Jagat, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, his
cabinet colleagues and high officials.
Accompanying them were Union Law Minister Salman
Khurshid, Union Water Resources Minister Vinsen Joshi,
and Minister at the Prime Minister's Office Narayanswamy.
From the airport, the VVIPs were flown to Kangla
helipad here in three helicopters, the sources said.
Union Doner Minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar had arrived
here yesterday.
A security blanket has been thrown over
Imphal for the visit of Prime Minister Singh and
Sonia Gandhi. However, normal life was
hit due to a general strike called by civil organisations and
insurgents.
Official sources said the police, paramilitary forces,
India Reserve personnel and other forces were deployed in
large numbers at the Palace compound, Khuman Lampak,
Chingmeirong and Kangl where the VVIPs would attend functions.
Imphal and greater Imphal areas were being patrolled by
paramilitary forces and the police with the few people on
the streets being frisked, the sources said.
The tight security measures were taken in view of the
bomb blast a few metres away from the City Convention Centre
on November 30 in which one person was killed and five others
were injured, a senior police official said on condition of
anonymity.
At the Palace compound, Singh and Gandhi would inaugurate
the City Convention Centre, a Manipur Film Development
Corporation hall and auditorium and the Inter State Bus
Terminus at Khuman Lampak area, they said.
Singh and Gandhi would also inaugurate the new Manipur
Legislative and high court buildings at Chingmeirong area,
which are part of the capital project.
The Prime Minister and UPA chairperson will address a
public meeting at Kangla in the afternoon.
Normal life was affected and all markets, shops and
business establishments remained closed due to the general
strike, official reports said.
Civil organisations, United Committee Manipur (UCM) and
All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO) have jointly
called the general strike, alleging that central leaders had
utterly neglected the people during the recent 100-day
economic blockade on two national highways by some groups of
Nagas and Kukis.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, December 03, 2011, 09:05