Protest against govt at Meitram
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 13 2011:
The Government's move to take over a play ground for expansion of Imphal airport received a strong protest from local youths and sports lovers who joined a sit-in protest carried by the villagers on Sunday at Meitram in Imphal West district.
Hundreds of sports lovers, local players and youths took part in the protest staged from 10 am till 4 pm.
The playground in question is located at Meitram village which would be right at the border of Imphal airport after it gets expanded by evicting villages on the western side of the airport.
Villagers of Meitram wished the authority to leave the playground untouched when the fencing works of the airport begins.
Brushing aside their requests, authority of the state revenue department has started to take over the playground and also to evict the villagers of Malom and its adjoining areas affected by the airport expansion.
"We had requested the government to reserve playgrounds but to no avail," said Kh Achou, general secretary, Beneficial Club.
The land in question measures 4.13 acres and has been under the physical possession of the Beneficial Club since government allotted the land to the club in March 1995."We are demanding reservation of at least half of the land which is currently being used as a playground," he said.
If government fails to review it decision, villagers will launch intensified forms of agitations, he warned.