Manipur veteran political analyst Chongtham Bijoy said Prime Minister Narendra Modi might be facing legal complications after state government’s wrong information during the recent inauguration and laying of foundation stone of developmental projects worth around Rs 3,500 crore.
Speaking to the media at his residence located at Lamphel Khunou, Imphal West on Tuesday, he appreciated PM Modi for inaugurating and laying foundation stones of various developmental projects for Manipur. However, the PM might face legal complications for the 60-bedded state mental hospital, he added.
The inauguration and foundation stone laying of various projects were done virtually by PM Modi from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday under ‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit Manipur’.
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The veteran political analyst informed that in Lamphel Khunou there are 17 households belonging to 25 families. He alleged that without the consent of the 17 households the state officials handed over all the pattas for construction of the said state mental hospital.
Moreover, an eviction notice was also served to the 17 households under eviction case-2. He added that a follow-up of the case writ petition (c) number 159 of 2024 under High Court of Manipur before justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh on March 6 put status quo against eviction of the said area till March 20. The petitioner of the case is ‘Chongtham Huteshwar and ors’ and ‘state of Manipur and anr’ is the respondent where advocate Keisham Kishan is appearing for the petitioner and Lenin Hijam, advocate general assisted by advocate Dimal Kumar Haobam is appearing for the respondent, he informed.
Amid the High Court’s order to maintain status quo, the state government misled PM Modi who laid the foundation stone for construction of a state mental hospital at Lamphel Khunou which is a disputed land, he added.
The laying of foundation stone at a disputed land is contemptuous to the Court, he added.
Bijoy said there is much unused land in the surrounding area but targeting the residential area of Lamphel Khunou might be a part of “Lemna Tharoi”.
In connection with the issue, resident of Lamphel Khunou, Ch Bijoy Singh has sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. The copy of the letter was also sent to Governor of Manipur, Anusuiya Uikey and chief secretary of Manipur Vineet Joshi.
In the letter it is highlighted that “the selection of this village as the site for the Mental Hospital is a targeted and a vindictive move because there is another 50 bedded mental hospital just 300 metres away from the present earmarked site. It is hardly full throughout the year. I am referring to the RIMS Psychiatric ward. There is plenty of vast vacant land near this village. Nobody will be aggrieved if the said mental hospital is constructed there.”
Recollecting an issue, Bijoy said that on January 16, 2021, he submitted a memorandum to the chief minister requesting to allot patta to the residents of Lamphel Khunou. During that time, as per favourable response from the chief minister, the process for allotting patta was initiated. However, on February 8 of the same year, he was expelled from the BJP party.
Soon after he was expelled from BJP, all the documents that were initiated to provide patta to all the residents of Lamphel Khunou were lost, said Bijoy.
He said even the director state health service and DC, Imphal West reported in a field enquiry that the most suitable place for construction of State Mental Hospital is Lamphel Khunou residential area occupied by 25 families.
Issuance of eviction notice to the residence of Lamphal Khunou is election motivated matter, he alleged.
He further said a government using ‘black power’ will not last long and at last the Meitei community will go extinct.
Due to the ongoing crisis, many people are staying at relief camps and after the Lamphel Khunou case, another category of people will stay at relief camps caused by the present government, he added.
It seems that law is only enforced for normal people but not for the rich, Bijoy said and warned that such a move will invite social revolution.
