IMPHAL: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has announced that the plan to send new recruits of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) to Assam for training by road has been cancelled.

In a Facebook post on Friday night, Singh said, "The plan to send new recruits of the 10th and 11th IRB to Assam by road has been cancelled for now. An alternative arrangement will be made soon."

This decision was allegedly made in response to protests from the families and relatives of the recruits. They expressed concerns that traveling through Kuki inhabited areas could jeopardise the recruits' safety and demanded that the training take place in the Imphal East district.

On Friday evening, the relatives of the recruits gathered near the main gate of the Manipur Police Training College at Pangei in Imphal East district to voice their opposition to the plan of taking them to Assam for training by road.