The Manipur government has conveyed to the Centre its willingness to conduct the NRC exercise within the constitutional and legal framework, state Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said on Friday.
Addressing the inauguration of a two-day consultative meeting-cum-seminar on the demographic profile of Manipur here, Konthoujam said the state had informed the Union government of its position on the issue.
"The Manipur government has conveyed to the central government its wish for conducting the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise within the constitutional and legal framework," he said.
Konthoujam said the Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier constituted a high-level committee to examine issues relating to demographic changes in the country.
Calling for collective efforts to address the state's challenges, he said, "We may have many political and other differences, but when it comes to the public and their interests, all should come together for the state and the people. We should join hands to resolve all the issues." Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh, who also addressed the seminar, said repeated bandhs, blockades and agitations had adversely affected the state's economy.
"Manipur is tired. Bandhs, blockades and different types of agitations have affected the economy of the state. Such agitations hurt daily wage earners the most," he said.
The chief minister said the ongoing blockade had also created serious difficulties for truck drivers stranded on national highways while transporting essential commodities to the state.
He said the government was always ready to support any step that benefits the people and expressed confidence that the deliberations at the two-day seminar would yield constructive recommendations.
Singh stressed that all recommendations should remain within the provisions of the Constitution.
Later, in a post on social media, the chief minister said, "Protecting Manipur's identity, land, culture and the interests of our people remains a priority of our government."
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