The Manipur government on Monday declared that the claims on Thangjing Hills made by a village chief are fabricated and concocted with a malafide intention to mislead the general public, and has no locus standi.
The Thangjing Hill Range falls within the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forests which was notified on September 17, 1966, vide Notification No. 55/10/66-M(2) under Section 29 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, stated an order signed by special secretary (Forest, Environment and Climate Change), Rk Amarjit Singh in the name of the governor.
The present day Ukha-Loikhai settlement falls within the boundary of this Protected Forest, it stated.
The order for setting apart of Ukha-Loikhal from the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest was canceled, vide Office-Memorandum No. 1/46/2018/Forests, dated November 7, 2022, of the PCCF & HoFF, Manipur, it mentioned.
Fresh inquiry in this regard has already been initiated by the state government, it stated.
It further mentioned that there are no records of the so-called ‘Haokip Reserved’ notified under any Resolution/Act/Rules as per records maintained by the state government contrary to the claim made by the self-proclaimed chief, it stated.
Thangjing (Thang Ching) is a hill of historical importance because of which Government of Manipur had declared it as a protected site under section 4 of the Manipur Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1976, vide Gazette No.376 dated 14/11/2022, it mentioned.
