Chadong Shanao Long, Ukhrul regarding compensation paid to Mapithel dam affected villagers
1st August 2015
The Chadong Shanao Long (CSL), Ukhrul strongly refutes the statement made by the Chief Minister Shri Okram Ibobi during the last Assembly session regarding the compensation paid to Mapithel dam affected villagers (source: Hueiyen Lanpao News dated June 30 2015. The state government has fully violated the rights of the villagers by indulging in wrong and unfair means of propaganda to the media. It has time and again duped the public by giving false information about compensation beneficiaries. We also urge the media to visit the village and investigate the truth. The villagers are still relying on the court’s final verdict.
It is to be noted that under Writ Petition (case) No. 211 of 2012 filed against the Government of Manipur, the Court had stayed the order Office Memorandum and Agreement (13th June 2011, No. 20/1/2005-IFC (Pt)) till further notice. Considering the fact that the government itself has gone ahead and displaced people from their ancestral lands and homes, violating the stay order, the government seems to consider itself above the law, and henceforth a contempt of court in itself.
The government has not paid compensation to numerous households. Even for those people who has accepted compensation backdoor, their rehabilitation and resettlement has not even been put in place. Besides that, the concerned department went ahead with the project without the pre-requisite forest clearance and the matter is in the NGT court. No dialogue was initiated or conducted on the alternative livelihood means, fishing rights or water rights of the affected villagers.
We also strongly condemn the back-door negotiations the Government and certain illegitimate committee without the knowledge of all the affected villagers.
We request the media and the general public to conduct a fair investigation of the claims made by the CM since it would inevitably discredit the theory given by the state government. The situation at Chadong and the neighbouring villages is of a man-made humanitarian crisis, which is of utmost urgency. We urge the public to come and see the plight of the villagers with their own eyes, which will give them a better clarity to the picture unseen by them.
As of now, the Mapithel Dam has artificially inundated Chadong village and its properties. This man-made disaster has been created by the Government of Manipur. The villagers are sheltering themselves in makeshift tin shelters. Despite their pitiable condition, neither the government departments nor government officials have come forward with any assistance for the villagers. None other than the destruction of villages and taking away the livelihoods of the villagers, the state government has had nothing much to offer the inhabitants of Chadong village. Yet, the villagers have faith on the rule of law and hope that justice will prevail. As of today, the villagers await for their rightful legal recourse and appropriate rehabilitation & resettlement.
Signed
Mingthingla Kashung
Chairperson
Chadong Shanao Long
BPO: Chadong Village, Ukhrul Dist. Pin-795145, Manipur, India
* This Press Relese was sent to e-pao.net by Ratika Yumnam , who can be contacted at ratika(doT)yumnam(aT)gmail(doT)com
This Press Release was posted on August 02 2015
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