CCDD flays MoEF for forest clearance
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 10 2014 : Strongly decrying the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), Government of India for conceding final Stage II Forest Clearance for Mapithel Dam on Dec 31, the Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD) urged the State Government to stop Mapithel Dam construction till the free prior and informed consent of all affected communities are obtained.

"It is highly unfortunate that the MoEF conceded both Stage I and Stage II 'Forest Clearances' without conducting any site visits into affected areas and without full adherence to Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA, 2006) and undermining its instructions to the Government of Manipur on Aug 23, 2013 to comply FRA, 2006 before Stage II Forest Clearance," said a statement issued by Aram Pamei, Co-chairperson of CCDD .

The CCDD also slammed the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), Government of India for according highly objectionable 'exemptions' to the application of "Forest Rights Act, 2006" in the case of Mapithel Dam construction, under which, mandatory consent of the traditional institutions of the affected communities is required.

"The act of Tribal Ministry is an act of double standard and discrimination against the indigenous tribal peoples of Manipur," it stated while citing an instance wherein the Ministry vouched for FRA 2006 compliance in Vedanta Mining case in Orissa to protect the tribal communities while the same Tribal Ministry interestingly, exempted the application of FRA, 2006 in the case of Mapithel dam in Manipur.

The conclusion of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs that the June 19, 1993 Memorandum of Agreed Terms and Conditions for Rehabilitation and Resettlement Programme for the Mapithel dam affected villagers as adhering to the "spirit of the law (Forest Rights Act, 2006)" is a premature decision bereft of any sensitivity to the actual violations of the said 1993 agreements, the violations of which compelled the Government of Manipur to set up the Expert Review Committee in January 2008, it added.

The MoTA's observation is unacceptable as the Ministry did not undertake any verification for compliance and violations in Manipur, it said while adding that the two contrasting letters of the MoTA to MoEF on Mapithel Dam, one on Nov 26, 2013 and another on Dec 18, 2013 exposed the practices of 'adhochism' in the functioning of the Ministry and the true intents of the Tribal Ministry to discriminate and violate the rights of tribal people of Manipur.

Expressing surprise that the Tribal Ministry, which should actually be promoting the interest of the tribal people is actually taking steps to cause their complete displacement from their land and annihilate them, the statement said that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs with its recommendations not to implement FRA, 2006 in the case of Mapithel dam had already set a very bad precedent, of disrespect and discrimination of tribal peoples in Manipur and North East in general.

It further urged the Ministry of Environment and Forest to revoke the Stage II Forest Clearance for Mapithel Dam on Dec 31, 2013 while demanding Ministry of Tribal Affairs' revocation of its letter to the MOEF on Dec 18, 2013 not to apply Forest Rights Act, 2006 for Mapithel dam and rather should recommend to comply Forest Rights Act, 2006 and to take the consent of traditional bodies of communities affected.

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