Imphal, April 29: Security measures has been beefed up in the aftermath of the April 26 attack launched by armed cadres of the Hmar people's Convention, Democratic (HPC-D) that caused substantial damage to machineries installed at the construction site of Tipaimukh Multi-Purpose Project even as the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh has convened a meeting on May 2 to take stock of the situation.

Informing that decision to convene the meeting, to be attended by top officials of NEEPCO including its Director General, was adopted at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, the source said Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Home), DGP and other top ranking security officials were present at the said meeting.

Jolted by the HPC-D attack during which bombs were reportedly used in destroying drilling machine stationed at the Project site on the barak river bank, security measures had been strengthened with para-military force personnel deployed on patrolling duty at the construction site located close to the Manipur-Mizoram border.

The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) is the implementing agency of the 163 metre high dam envisioned to generate 1500 megawatt power, which had been dogged by controversy with certain section of the society and NGOs demanding scrapping of the project on environmental and socio-economic concerns.

The Project site lies within Churachandpur district and about 300 kilometres from here with the act of arson actually taking place on the Mizoram side of the inter-State border, according to Superintendent of Police (churachandpur) S Manglemjao Singh.

In the wake of the incident security measures has been tightened on Manipur side where the dam would be constructed, the SP said adding that security have been kept on high alert in the area.

"We are informed that the Assam Rifles posted at Parbung, the nearest security post from Tipaimukh, have intensified patrolling around Tipaimukh areas".

Meanwhile, a senior NEEPCO official, while officially intimating about the incident report to the state's principal secretary (Power), has emphasized the need to take appropriate action at the earliest.

The official representation said miscreants blasted the drilling machine kept at the dam site on the left bank of Barak river in Mizoram.

Besides throwing away the drilling accessories to the river, they also fired some rounds in the air.

An FIR is being lodged with the Sub Divisional Police Officer, Sakawrdai, Mizoram, the report said adding that the field staff have been shifted to Tuirial HEP.

HPC (D), in a statement said the drilling works at Tipaimukh area is against the aspirations of the Hmar people of Tipaimukh as the matter involves their land, dignity and rights.

Destroying the machineries was a necessary act in the interest of 'safeguarding our ancestral land and our people from destructive intervention made by the government of Manipur and Neepco in pursuit of imposing a mega-dam', the statement said.

The outfit also accused the state and NEEPCO of "pushing the proposed project without consulting the people who will be severely affected".

The Hmars' blood and land will remain intact, it said.

Amid large scale protests by anti-dam lobbyists, Union power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had laid the foundation stone of the estimated Rs 700 crore dam on December 15, 2006 .

Dam opposers particularly environmentalists and representatives of NGOs are of the view that the project once implemented would uproot 150 villages and inundate over 7251 square Kms of forest areas including the orange belt in Tamenglong district in addition to rendering over 40,000 people homeless.

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