Villagers of Suboulong and Lubanglong villages in Noney district (earlier Tamenglong district) of Manipur have indefinitely blocked the approach road from Old Cachar Road to the power house site of the Loktak Downstream Hydro Electric Project, citing the state government’s failure to address their grievances over the land acquisition issue.
Speaking to the mediapersons on Wednesday at ADC Bhawan, Imphal, a land owner of Suboulong village, Athuipou Kamei said a major portion of the approach road to the Power House site falls within the land of Suboulong village and the road is under construction for the said Loktak Downstream Hydro Electric Project.
However, the portion of the land has not been included in the memorandum issued by the district collector of Tamenglong regarding the schedule of land to be acquired for the construction of approach roads and for the construction of the project, he added.
Kamei mentioned that the order issued by the district collector had given land scheduled to be acquired for two other approach roads (Tupul to Thangal village and Thangal village to Power House site).
Exclusion of the approach road which falls under the Suboulong village, in the land acquisition memorandum has hurt the villagers greatly, said Kamei.
Kamei further said, "Unless this portion of land covered by the approach road is included in the land to be acquired, we will be deprived of our land without due process of law which is in violation of the provisions of Article 300A of the Constitution of India."
Village khunpu of Lubanglong village, Poulum Kamei supplemented that in this regards, memorandum have been submitted to the state chief minister on June 6, to the works minister on August 8 and to other concerned authorities. However, the government is yet to provide any response till date.
As a result, the villagers of Suboulong, with the support from its neighbouring village Lubanglong, has blocked the approached road to the dam site from August 8, he added.
Unless and until the government gives a positive response, they will continue to block the said approach road to the Power House site, he further said.
The villagers present in the press conference appealed to the state government to look into the matter and to issue necessary direction to have their land for the construction of the Power House Site properly notified.
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