Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 16 2008:
Decrying the alleged allotment of a certain portion of the land where the Mekola Public Health Centre is standing to a private individual by some relevant officials, a protest sitting was staged today the PHC complex today.
It is reported that the protest demonstration demanding annulment of the Government allotment order would continue till December 20 .
The protest demonstration staged under the aegis of the Mekola PHC Development Committee was participated by a large number of people coming from Lairenjam, Kodompokpi, Meitram, Malom, Govindagram, Meijrao, Ningombam, Thiyam and Bamdiyar.
Festoons and placards which read as, "Land for hospital should be kept for hospital only", "No public land should be allotted to any private individual", "Transfer Hiyangthang SDC immediately", "Revoke the land allotment order" etc were put up during the protest demonstration.
Speaking to media persons by the sideline of the protest sitting, Mekola PHC Development Committee functionary L Open said that out of the 0.94 acre of land occupied by the PHC since 1984, an area of 14 feet in breadth and 55 feet in length has been allotted to a private individual by an order issued by Principal Secretary (Revenue) P Sarat on October 30 last.
Saying that the committee has already laid down its stand against allotment of the PHC land to any private individual to relevant Government officials, Open observed that the act of allotting the PHC land to a private individual in secret against the collective wish of the people is nothing but forfeiture of people's rights.
In case the land allotment order is not revoked by December 20, the Committee, in association with different civil organisations of the area, will launch various sorts of agitation from December 21, Open cautioned while asserting that the Government should be held accountable for any eventuality resulting from the agitation.