Public consultancy on 'Land Rights and Forest Land in Manipur' held
Source: The Sangai Express

Thoubal, March 27 2022: EKTA Parishad Manipur on Sunday organised a two days public consultancy on "Land Rights and Forest Land in Manipur" at the auditorium of IRE Group of Institutions, Wangjing, Thoubal district.

It was attended by Dr Rajivkumar Narengbam, principal IRE Group of Institutions, Ramesh Sharma, national coordinator EKTA Parishad, Haobijam Sujit, Revenue Branch Office Thoubal SDC, M Malemnganba and Director Human Right and Law Network (HRLN) Manipur Advocate Rakesh Meihoubam as presidium members.

Speaking on the occasion, Mamta Lukram, state co-ordinator EKTA Parishad Manipur stated that the physical composition of land structure as "90:10 hill-valley" is an indication that forest cover is high in the state.

Public consultancy on 'Land Rights and Forest Land in Manipur' held

"Reports of forest cover were increased to 263 sq km from 2015 .

It was made official in a report in 2017.Assam and Manipur are the states in NE India with recorded increase in forest cover", she added.

She stated that according to Socio-Economic & Caste Census Report (SECC) 2011, Manipur has a total of 71% landless households, third rank in the entire North East with Mizoram and Meghalaya occupying the first and second rank.

Mamta Lukram also informed that as per surveys conducted in isolated pockets of the districts, former revenue village or unclassified khas land where people have inhabited for years have been claimed by the villagers.

Stressing on the need to conduct physical surveys before expanding forest cover with timely information to the people, she mentioned that appropriate alignment of Land laws and Revenue Department would lead towards legal entitlement of land to many who are devoid of this basic right.

"It is an undeniable fact that conservation of forest and environment is important.

Nevertheless, people's existence without legal entitlement is a crucial issue.

There is a need for coordination and understanding between the network of the forest department, Revenue department and the people" .

"Ekta Parishad Manipur activists are able to find out the physical reality of non-synchronised relationship between the three departments from the case story of villages like Thoubal Khunou, Lourembam Aripat in Thoubal District and Wakha Village of Imphal district.

The organisation is taking up the initiative to create a platform where the three dimensions meet to work out towards an amicable solution", she added.

During the Programme, resource persons DFO Thoubal Forest Division, Th Lokendro spoke on the topic, "Forest Land and Human Habitation" while Rakesh Meihoubam delivered a lecture on "Women and Land Rights" and M Malemnganba on "Revenue Land and Land Allotment Challenges" .