TODAY -
CM denies occupation of state village by Nagaland
Assures setting up of Police Outpost at Tungjoy and improving road connectivity
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, October 03: MANIPUR CHIEF Minister Okram Ibobi today informed the state legislative assembly that there is "no official report" of land dispute between Manipur and Nagaland.

"There is no official reports of land belonging to Lai village being occupied by the Nagaland authority." Chief Minister said while replying to a call attention motion raised by two senior opposition members O Joy and I Ibohalbi of Manipur People's Party in the second sitting of the ongoing brief monsoon session here.

Lai village inhabited by Poumai Naga tribes is located around 44 km north cast of Paomata Sub-division in Senapati district bordering Nagaland's Phek district.

The two opposition members, based on news reports of two popular local vernacular dailies Hueiyen Lanpao and Poknapham, sought clarification from the government on the reported encroachment by Nagaland on the territory of Manipur at Lai village of Senapati district.

Chief Minister Ibobi, reacting to their query, however made it clear that there was an incident of detaining around 11 villagers for felling down trees within Manipur's territory way back in 1992 .

And again there is still a long standing and pre-independence boundary dispute between Tungjoy villagers with their neighbouring counterparts in Nagaland, he said adding, "it is not so alarming" compared to the hot-issues of Assam-Meghalaya and Assam-Nagaland border disputes.

Ibobi, while assuring setting up of police outpost at Tungjoy village once the ongoing recruitment is over, also expressed the need for improving road connectivity with the border villages.

"The government will look into the road connectivity and set up police stations under the Special Plan Assistance fund once the ongoing recruitment is finished," he assured.

Regarding the claims and counter claims over the picturesque Dzuko valley along the Manipur-Nagaland border, Ibobi said, nearly 70 percent of the valley belongs to Manipur while the rest is in Nagaland.

Dzuko river in the valley is the boundary.

An agreement between Manipur and Nagaland officials at the chief secretaries' level had already been signed way back in 2002 wherein both sides agreed not to construct anything inside the valley, he recounted.

None of the concerned MLAs from Senapati district didn't take part in the day's discussion despite former Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition Radhabinod Koijam's initiatives.

Earlier Radhabinod even demanded conversion of the call attention motion into a short duration discussion so that local MLAs could participate in it.

On the question of report of other encroachment along Manipur-Myanmar border areas in Chandel, Ukhrul and Churach-andpur districts, he admitted that fencing on Indo-Myanmar international border will be taken up soon on the Indian side.





SPONSORED ADS