New Delhi, Nov. 20: It took three months of closed schools and sustained agitation for the Centre to crack the whip for Manipur but little seems to have affected Okram Ibobi Singh, serving a second term as chief minister of the state, after his meeting with Union home minister P. Chidambaram.

Ibobi Singh was summoned to Delhi today to hear out Chidambaram in a 90-minute meeting at North Block, one of the longest one-on-one meetings that the home minister has had with a chief minister.

Sources said Chidambaram had asked Ibobi Singh to take firm and concrete action to open schools that have been closed for three months and crack down on insurgents and extortionists. It was not known if a leadership change was discussed. But after the meeting, Ibobi Singh who also holds the home portfolio, cited reasons to maintain status quo.

“I have been the home minister for the last six years, so what has gone wrong?” he asked after the marathon meeting.

Sources said Governor Gurbachan Jagat had asked Ibobi Singh twice to offload the home portfolio but in vain. Singh also looks after the finance portfolio.

The Centre had written to the state that state government employees found hand in glove with the insurgents’ extortion bids should be hauled up.

Ibobi Singh denied any involvement of government servants until reminded by journalists of the recent arrests. “Yes, an executive engineer was arrested (for extortion). As and when anyone is found involved, strict action will be taken,” he said.

“The situation will improve, it will improve,” he said when asked that despite retaining the home portfolio little seemed to have changed on the law and order front.

His political detractors have also shouted hoarse for a leadership change but taking such decisions is the prerogative of the Congress high command. Ibobi Singh today blamed the civil society groups and sought Chidambaram’s help to increase the strength of the police force.