Police given free hand to deal with lawlessness: Manipur CM

Police have been given a free hand to check crime and maintain law and order in the state, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said on Friday.

The ministers and MLAs had also assured him that they would not interfere with the due discharge of duty by police, he said.

Biren, who also holds the Home portfolio, was speaking on the sidelines of a function where he launched two websites -- one for monitoring the anti-corruption cell and the other to inform people on the progress of developmental projects.

He said: "The two websites will help usher in a corruption-free administration, since people will get all chances to get involved. It will be transparent functioning."

The people could get involved through these websites, said the Chief Minister.

Biren said: "There has been no night life in Manipur for years. Traders pull down shutters by nightfall, whereas their counterparts elsewhere in the country do business until late in the night.

"I appeal to the traders to keep their shops open at night. Police will take all measures to check anti-social elements from creating law and order problems. People can lodge their complaints through their mobile phones... Police have been given a free hand in their work."

He seemed surprised that in "dry Manipur", uninhibited sale of liquor was going on, when he was told that people under the influence of liquor created law and order problems.

He appealed to the people to notify the police about the illegal sale of liquor and other narcotics substances.

--IANS

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