Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 16, 2010:
Talks between the government and Committee of Protection of Tribal Areas Manipur (COPTAM), demanding rectification in overlapping of district boundaries in census operation, commenced today.
The talks that started today at Chief Minister's Bungalow at 3.30 pm was the first round and not coming to the point that agreeable to both side, official source said.
The talk has begun but no coconscious arrived in today's talk said, the source said COPTAM has sought time for consideration to the point government laid down during the talks.
However, representatives of COPTAM taking part in the talks refused to divulge on the fallout of the talks.
Government source said that government informed the COPTAM that a high level committee handed by the Chief Secretary is looking into the overlapping of district boundaries in the census operations in the state.
In the talks, COPTAM reiterated their demands which includes de-linking of revenue collection from Census Operation and district boundary demarcation, immediate conduct of Census for overlapping villages to be carried out by concerned hill districts as was done till 2001 Census among others.
They also demanded maintaining of land records in the respective hill districts and collection of land revenues thereof by the concerned hill districts and initiation of constitutional protection of Manipur tribal areas as was done in all tribal areas of North-East India which were mentioned in the memorandum submitted to the government.