Imphal, Feb 28 (IANS) Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Saturday to discuss key state issues, officials said.

A senior official confirmed the meeting but did not disclose specific topics. The meeting is significant as it follows the formation of the new government under Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on February 4, which ended nearly a year of President’s Rule during extended ethnic unrest.

Another official, speaking anonymously, stated that Bhalla, a former Union Home Secretary, briefed the Home Minister on Manipur’s security situation and ongoing efforts to restore normalcy.

The discussions also covered the rehabilitation of violence-affected Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Security forces, the official added, continue to conduct joint operations to recover illegal arms and ammunition and to destroy illicit poppy cultivation in vulnerable areas.

Efforts are underway to implement confidence-building measures between affected communities to rebuild trust and promote lasting peace.

On February 22, Chief Minister Khemchand Singh and Deputy Chief Ministers Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho met the Union Home Minister to discuss various issues, including IDP rehabilitation.

An official from the Chief Minister’s Office stated that the Home Minister reviewed the new government’s initiatives to remove barriers between communities and restore peace and harmony in the state.

During his visit to the national capital, the Chief Minister met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, who assured full central support for the development of national and state highways in Manipur.

Khemchand Singh has been in New Delhi since February 21, marking his first visit to the national capital after taking oath as Chief Minister on February 4.

On February 24, Singh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Seva Teerth and briefed him on the new government’s initiatives to restore peace and harmony in Manipur, officials said.

On February 23, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers met Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who approved construction of 5,000 new houses for IDP rehabilitation under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, officials said.

The Chief Minister also met Union Minister for the Development of the North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who assured that his Ministry would coordinate with other Union Ministries to address key issues in Manipur.

Khemchand Singh also met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who assured full support to revive the state’s financial health and economy.

He met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who assured full cooperation and support from his Ministry for all Manipur government initiatives.

–IANS

sc/dan