Imphal, Dec 28 (IANS): New Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla is likely to assume office next week, officials said here on Saturday.

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday appointed former Union Home Secretary Bhalla as the next Governor of the trouble-torn Manipur.

Replacing former Governor Anusuiya Uikey, Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya in additional charge as he has been looking after the gubernatorial post in Manipur since July 31.

Bhalla, a 1984 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, has extensive experience in managing crisis situations in the northeastern region.

He was the Union Home Secretary when the ethnic violence began in Manipur on May 3, 2023.

During the 18-month-long ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, over 250 men and women were killed, over 1,000 were injured and the conflict displaced more than 60,000 people from their homes and villages.

Bhalla’s appointment as Governor is a significant move to deal with the ethnic hostilities in the state.

Despite the unprecedented number of deployment of Central security forces and partial reimposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in certain areas, violent incidents are taking place in a few districts.

However, many organisations including the influential Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of the Meitei community, have been demanding to repeal AFSPA.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh recently said that bringing a solution to the ongoing ethnic strife in the state would take time as the situation has become complex, chronic and fragile.

The Chief Minister had said that gradually, the situation in Manipur is improving with most of the districts remaining incident-free for the past several months.

“The state and Central security forces along with the civil administration are doing their best to maintain the violence-free situation and to deliver services to the people,” Biren Singh had told the media.