INDIA: Manipur State Seniors Voice Concern Over Land Issue

IMPHAL, Manipur (The Sangai Express), December 19, 2007: The Senior Citizens for Society (SCS), Manipur has urged the government of Manipur to review its decision to locate a National Institute for Technology (NIT) on arable land in the foothills of Langol which is also uprooting many residents. In a press release, the SCS has argued that locating the NIT at the cost of agricultural land, is also illegal under Manipur Land Revenue Act 1960. Hence, the proposal should be withdrawn. The proposal to set up the NIT in Manipur is a positive move in a backward state like Manipur, the SCS has asserted. It further suggested that the institute might be set up in another place of the state where there are unproductive high grounds. Copyright 2007. The Sangai Express Related Story Public Hearing Held On Location of NIT IMPHAL The Imphal Free Press), December 19, 2007: An unofficial `public hearing` on the controversial issue of setting up the proposed National Institute of Technology, NIT, at Langol was conducted in Imphal today by an independent non-government fact finding team of rights activists from New Delhi, led by Dr. John Dayal, member, National Integration Council. The `public hearing`, organised by the JAC for Protection of Residential, Agricultural and Wetlands, Langol-Lamphelpat and held at Shija Hospital junction, Langol, was attended by some 200 to 300 people, mostly those who would be affected if the NIT project goes ahead. Speaking to the gathering, Dr Dayal expressed regret at the imposition of prohibitory orders in Imphal west district by the district administration ahead of the public hearing. Under the Constitutional guarantee given by Article 19(i)(a) safeguarding the freedom of expression, people have a right to peacefully express their opinions and listen to others` opinions, he said. He stressed that the fact-finding team would furnish a factual report of the hearing to the Central government authorities, and not one composed of falsehoods. Kim Gangte, ex-MP and chairperson of the JAC for Protection of Residential, Agricultural and Wetlands, Langol-Lamphelpat charged that state chief minister O Ibobi had misrepresented to the Central government that the people had given their consent to the construction of the NIT at Langol, and that compensation had been paid. She asked the gathering to make the true picture clear to the fact-finding team. It was pointed out that numerous democratic protests including sit-in demonstrations and rallies, were held against the proposal for locating the NIT at Langol, but the government has paid no heed. One Langol resident, a widow, very emotionally stated that she would not give up her land even onto death, as it was left her by her late husband who had scrimped and scraped to buy it. The panel conducting the hearing includes, apart from Dr John Dayal, Dr Shyam, national secretary, Independent People`s Tribunal, Albert Loyo, and Medha Chand. Copyright � 2001-2003 KanglaOnline