Imphal | Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Manipur in the first week of October to lay the foundation stone for the proposed government medical college in Senapati district, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said on Wednesday.

The proposed visit was discussed during a meeting between Shah and Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh at the Union Home Minister’s official residence in New Delhi. According to the CMO, Shah assured the chief minister that the Centre would work towards fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Manipur.

The foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Senapati Medical College is expected to be the key event during Shah’s visit. The project was recently approved in principle by the state Cabinet. The proposed medical college, to be established in the predominantly Naga-inhabited Senapati district, is expected to strengthen healthcare infrastructure, expand access to medical education and create employment opportunities in the region.

Shah’s proposed visit assumes added political significance as demands for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census have gained momentum in Manipur.

Several legislators from the state are currently in New Delhi seeking the Centre’s intervention on the issue. A delegation representing 14 civil society organisations is also holding meetings with Union ministers and senior officials to press for citizenship verification before the Census and any subsequent delimitation exercise.

Supporters of the NRC-before-Census demand have argued that identification of genuine Indian citizens should precede population enumeration and constituency delimitation. The issue has emerged as a major political talking point in Manipur, with elected representatives and civil society groups separately seeking the Centre’s intervention.

Against this backdrop, Shah’s proposed visit is expected to attract attention beyond its development agenda, particularly over the Centre’s position on issues concerning citizenship verification, the Census and delimitation. The visit would also mark Shah’s first trip to Manipur since April 2024, when he addressed an election rally in Imphal.

His last major visit to the state came in May-June 2023, shortly after the outbreak of ethnic violence. During that visit, he held consultations with political leaders, civil society organisations and representatives of different communities. Further details of Shah’s itinerary are expected to be announced closer to the proposed visit.