The Eastern Sporting Association (ESA) has raised suspicion over the credibility of land demarcation and survey of the reserve forest area of Imphal East conducted by the Forest department and Revenue department.
The ESA stated in a release that the procedure seemed to be carried out in accordance to the personal interests of conducting the demarcation and survey. The driving forces of the work seem to be based on favoritism, nepotism and corruption, it stated.
The demarcation and land survey should be carried out based on correct land data along with the locality, it added.
The authority stated that the land demarcation is carried out based on the land record of 1960 which does not seem to be the case, it said. The land which was occupied for just a few years is not taken under demarcation, it stated. This is an act of giving away the land of reserve forest to the people, it said. The demarcation should be carried out based on the year 1937, it added.
The work being carried out is based on the reserve forest boundary set up in 1980 and 2000 where 200-800 meters of land around the boundaries were given away, it stated. It recalled that the notice for eviction was sent for such lands but no actions were taken up, it stated. Such incidents made the present activities doubtful, it added.
The process of construction of road and other structures have started in Top Awang Leikai but the Forest department has paid no heed to it, it stated. The department instead seems to be collecting tax and encouraging the encroachment, it added.
The ESA had repeatedly appealed to SDO of Porompat to look into matters like new and old land owner documents, and temporary land documents. But it was never looked into and allowed the encroachers to carry on with their activities, it added.
