Stalin directs officials to contact Tamils stranded in Manipur

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday instructed state Public & Rehabilitation dept officials to establish contact with Tamils stranded in Manipur & rescue them.

This came after Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had on Monday said that 60 people were killed, 231 injured and 1,700 houses including religious places burnt in the ethnic violence that rocked the northeastern state for the past few days.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday evening, the chief minister said that the state cabinet resolved to provide an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased, Rs 2 lakh each to those who suffered major injuries and Rs 25,000 each to people with minor injuries.

"These are very very unfortunate incidents. I appeal to people to bring peace together at the earliest," Singh said.

He said that 1,700 houses, including temples and churches, have been burnt down in the violence.

Singh said Rs 2 lakh will be paid to those whose houses were destroyed, and the state government will rebuild them.

However, the situation across violence-hit Manipur is improving, with no fresh reports of any untoward incident, while curfew has been relaxed in all the 11 districts where it was clamped, officials said on Tuesday.

(With inputs from Bureau, PTI)