NEW DELHI, Aug 18 ? Stating that it had agreed to vacate the contentious Kangla Fort in the heart of Imphal 12 years ago, the Centre today said the new location for Assam Rifles was almost ready but the Manipur Government was yet to provide basic facilities there. Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal informed Rajya Sabha that a major portion of the Kangla Fort is likely to be vacated by December this year if the State Government provided basic facilities like roads, electricity and water supply to enable the Assam Rifles to shift there.
Vacation of the Kangla Fort, where the Assam Rifles is headquartered, is one of the major demands of agitators in Manipur, who have taken to the roads seeking withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act following the alleged rape and cutodial death of the 30-year-old Manorama Devi last month. In a written reply to former Chief Minister Rishang Keishing, Jaiswal said: ?The construction work at the new location is at an advanced stage and was likely to be completed soon. The State Government is yet to provide basic facilities like roads, electricity and water supply at the new location to enable Assam Rifles to shift there.?
He said the 1992 decision of the Centre was ?reiterated in a communication from the then Home minister to the Chief Minister, Manipur on December 30, 1995.? An area consisting of 39.596 acres of land comprising the old palace areas and sacred tank had already been vacated and handed over to the State Government, he said.