Imphal, February 25, 2010: The cheques issued by the Government as compensation for the land acquired in connection with construction of the proposed Integrated Check Post at the Indo-Myanmar border town of Moreh have been allegedly collected from the land owners by activists of KLA, a SoO signatory Kuki UG group and Hill Tribal Council (HTC), an NGO.

Disclosing this during a press conference at Manipur Press Club here this afternoon, chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), Integrated Check Post, Moreh Semjathang Haokip informed that the cheques have been collected by KLA and HTC over their demand for paying 50 percent of the compensation amount from each of the families affected in the land acquisition process.

The cheques were distributed to the affected land owners by the Deputy Commissioner of Chandel at Moreh Police Station on February 18 and 19 in the presence of ADC Chandel, SP Chandel, ADC moreh and CO of Assam Rifles, Semjathang recalled.

Out of the 405 affected land owners who have been given the cheques, around 100 of them are non-tribals.

But the cheques have been collected only from the tribals, he lamented.

Prior to collection of the cheques, HTC had called up all the affected tribal land owners and directed them to submit their respective cheques.

However, deduction of 50 percent from the compensation amount was revealed only when they went back on February 20, Semjathang said.

General secretary of the JAC Ngamjathang Lhungdim pointed out in the interest of the affected land owners, the JAC has been working since 2004. He called upon the Government to think over whether such monetary demand is in violation of the SoO groundrules and take up necessary action in this regard.

Giving an ultimatum, he also demanded the DC Chandel district to either arrange fresh distribution of cheques to the affected land owners at the district headquarters or make an alternative arrangement for the acquired land.

"As the remaining amount after deduction of 50 percent would not be sufficient for purchasing land and construction of houses, we would not vacate from our respective present locations until and unless our demands are considered'', Ngamjathang stated categorically.

It may be noted here that 405 families have been affected in the process of acquiring 45.05 hectares of land required for construction of the proposed Integrated Check Post with funding from Union Home Ministry.

The Ministry had sanctioned a sum of Rs 21 crores towards payment of land compensation.

The value of the land is estimated at Rs 62 per sq ft.

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