Singda Dam
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 26 2013 : The Singtha Bazaar Board Development Committee (SBBDC) has urged the State Government to limit the reconstruction and renovation of Singda dam within the boundary of the dam.

A public meeting held at Singda Bazar took the resolution to oppose any acquisition of land by the Government outside the existing boundary of the land.

Representatives of Kadangband Part-I Khun Committee, Singda Naharol Yaipha Thoumi Kanglup and villagers and meira paibees of Singda, Kandangband and Ireng took part in the meeting organised by SBBDC.

The meeting while lauding the effort of the State Government to renovate the dam pointed out that SBBDC was set up in 1975 .

Maintaining that people of the nearby areas are not against the eviction of the houses and farmlands which are within the boundary of the dam, the meeting observed that villagers would however stand against acquisition of SBBDC areas outside the boundary of the dam.

The meeting also resolved to extend co-operation to the dam authority in the eviction of the encroachers.

Speaking to reporters SBBDC Chairman L Mohendra said that SBBDC is the land owner of the areas like Singda Bazar, Kadangband Part-I and Ireng etc which have around 60 houses.

The houses built at the space located in front of the main gate of the dam come under the ownership of SBBDC, he added.

The committee would co-operate the dam authority in the eviction of the houses built inside the boundary of the dam, he added.

The people of Singda Bazar area have been residing at the present area by setting up SDBBC ever since the Government started construction works of the dam.

Saying that the Government did not have any qualm with the SDBBC for the past many years L Mahendra questioned what the hidden agenda behind the recent move of the Government is.

The areas of SBBDC, with exception to Ireng, not only come under Imphal West district and Sekmai Assembly Constituency but also have a Gram Panchayat.

Of the 310 acres of land acquired by the Government for the construction of Singda dam, 14 acres of land were from Imphal West district, he added.

As such, the families who are residing just outside the main gate never encroached the land of the dam, he added.

L Mohendra also questioned why neither the villagers of the nearby localities nor the MLA of the Constituency were informed when the Chief Minister and Minister concerned visited the area and the dam.

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