Imphal, September 24: The land allotted by the State Government for setting up a farm for rearing and breeding Manipuri Ponies is being used for paddy cultivation and is being leased out to farmers at a premium.

However the State Government has been sleeping over the matter instead of pulling up the organisation concerned.

Significantly this revelation has come a few days after the Sahara India Pariwar contributed Rs 10 lakhs towards the cause of protecting/conserving the rare species of Manipur Manipuri Ponies, known world-wide over for its agility in Polo games.

With the ever teeming population having taken its toll on the erstwhile grazing grounds in and around the twin capital city Imphal, this rare species is now seen loitering on the streets of Imphal foraging for food.

Many of them have also become either lame or affected with diseases due to the constant exposure to the vagaries of nature.

However, this is not to say that the State Government has done nothing for the protection/conservation of this rare species of horse. In 1963, the State Government allotted 7.35 acres of land (around 3 paris of Paddy field) situated just behind the Manipur Zoological Garden at Iroisemba and adjacent to the road for the purpose of setting up a Pony breeding farm to the Polo Club, Manipur Horse Breeding Scheme.

An official source informed that the said plot of land was allotted in the name of one Maibam Iboton of Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhri, who is the secretary of the organisation.

However, since the allotment of the land till today no one has seen any Pony being kept at the supposed farm.

An official team of the Government which had gone to conduct a survey on the progress of the breeding farm in 1991 also learnt that the name of the organisation had been changed to All Manipur Polo Association, the official informed.

When The Sangai Express went to inspect the farm today, it was found that major portion of the land is being used for agricultural purpose with no sight of Pony anywhere.

The northern side of the farm too has been overgrown with reeds and wild vegetations with neglect written all over it.

One Amom Kipa (61) and Laitonjam Nilachandra (62) were found staying in the farm keeping guard over it as the chowkidars.

Kipa is from Wangoo Sandangkhong and Nilachandra hails from Wangoo Laipham.

Their respective wives and children were also seen staying with them. According to the family members of the chowkidars, the major portion of the land is used by Laishram Kumar, who is an office bearer of the All Manipur Polo Association and another person identified as Mani for cultivation.

They have been cultivating the land by sharing the required expenditure and the yield 50/50 for the last 6 years. Over and above this, around one Sangam of land is being used presently by the grandson of late one Kunjo, a former-chowkidar.

The grandson is cultivating the said plot of land after paying certain amount of money to the Association, according to a source.

If the land had been utilised for the stated objective instead of serving the self interest of some individuals, the pitiable condition of the Ponies, in which they are now would have never arisen.

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