The Chief Minister travelled by road through sensitive areas to reach the district for the first time since unrest began in May 2023. The visit includes hospital inspection, project foundation events, and meetings with displaced people.
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For administrative outreach after months of unrest, Yumnam Khemchand Singh travelled by road to Jiribam district on Saturday. The journey was made through National Highway-37, and it marked first such visit by the Chief Minister since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023.
The Chief Minister reached Jiribam around 1:30 pm as part of a three-day visit. The route via NH-37 passes through several Kuki-inhabited areas. He was accompanied by state BJP president A Sharda Devi and eight MLAs.
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Jiribam is located roughly 217 km from the state capital. Officials described the visit as an attempt to directly assess ground conditions in the district after prolonged tensions in different parts of the state.
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On arrival, the Chief Minister was received by the Jiribam district administration and local police officials. The delegation then began a series of scheduled inspections and meetings across the district.
Singh inspected 50-bedded hospital at Ningsingkhul in Jiribam. He visited different wards, interacted with hospital staff, spoke with local residents. Officials briefed him about gaps in infrastructure and other operational challenges.
Addressing officials and members of the public, the Chief Minister said the state government would introduce policies to strengthen the hospital. He also assured that infrastructure needs and shortcomings identified during the visit would be reviewed.
On April 5, Singh is scheduled to attend the foundation stone laying ceremony for the Inter-State Truck Terminal and other development projects in Chandrapur. The event forms part of the broader itinerary for the three-day visit.
Several legislators joined the trip, including Tongbram Robindro, K Robindro, Sapam Ranjan, H Dingo, L Rameshwar, S Kunjakeshwor (Keba), S Premchandra, Ashab Uddin, and Noorul Hassan. The Commissioner (Home) and the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) are also part of the delegation.
Officials said the visit would also include interactions with internally displaced persons (IDPs) and meetings with local leaders. These discussions are likely to focus on assessing the current situation and identifying administrative priorities.
The trip comes months after a similar attempt dropped. In June 2024, former CM Nongthombam Biren Singh had planned to travel to Jiribam through NH-37. However, suspected militants ambushed his advance security convoy near Kotlen in Kangpokpi district.
The incident injured security personnel and forced the cancellation of that visit.
The current visit proceeds against that backdrop, with officials monitoring the situation along the route and in the district.
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