Ministry reshuffle likely in Manipur

Sobhapati Samom

IMPHAL, Jul 9 – Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has reportedly assured that a ministry reshuffle will be effected once the upcoming State Assembly session is concluded.

The Chief Minister gave the assurance during a meeting with 20 Congress MLAs, who have been demanding replacement of the existing Council of Ministers excluding the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister.

The meeting between the Chief Minister and Congress MLAs was held at the former’s Secretariat office here on Monday. The MLAs, numbering 27 out of a total strength of 47 in a House of 60 members, have been pressurising the Chief Minister to replace 10 ministers of the 12-member Council of Ministers.

During the meeting, Ibobi Singh also expressed his willingness to fulfil the demand for the reshuffle. He assured that the majority of his Council of Ministers would be replaced, according to an MLA who attended the meeting.

With the hope of having a ministry reshuffle after the Assembly session, the MLAs also decided to attend the upcoming session by extending support to the stand taken by the Ibobi-led Congress government.

The State Assembly session, which starts from July 11, will continue till July 28. Another source informed that all the Cabinet ministers would not be replaced, except some of them.

Sit-in stir staged: The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System today staged a sit-in protest at Keishampat Lairembi community hall in Imphal demanding implementation of the Inner Line Permit System in the State.

Speaking to the media, the convenor of the committee Ibotombi Khuman said that the present population of the indigenous people of the State is very alarming. He said more than seven lakh outsiders reside in the State. The sit-in protest will continue in specific areas of the Imphal town. A similar protests was also held at Sangaiprou near FCI godown in Imphal today. The protest will also be held at Uripok tomorrow.