Consultative meeting on The Manipur Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2018 held
Source: The Sangai Express / NNN

Imphal, March 09 2018: A one-day consultative meeting on "The Manipur Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2018" organised by All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) was held today at Tribal Research Institute (TRI), Imphal.

In the consultative meeting today, tribal academic Dr R Sanga observed on the brief critical analysis on the passing of the Bill "The Manipur Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2018" .

On analysing by section, sub section and clause wise of the Bill, Dr R Saga said that the said introduced Bill No.4 of 2018 was hastily discussed by the Hill Area Committee (HAC) on February 21 .

Dr R Sanga said: "the intention, attitude or tendency of the Government is clear that marketing of agricultural produces and livestock within the jurisdictional areas of local authorities be brought under the sole authority and power of the regulation of this Act by confiscating all powers and functions vested in the local authorities and district councils." It is a means to possess the hill tribal agricultural land of Manipur in the name of sustainable development, he alleged.

According to DR R Sanga, the intention of regulating the marketing of specified agricultural produces and livestock under the Act is totally against the tribal customary law of land holding system under the chieftainship institution in the hill areas of the State.

The intention of declaring the whole State as one single unified market area implies that the Government shall possess and own the tribal land in the hill areas of Manipur, he alleged.

"Declaring the whole State as one single unified market area as per sub-section (3) of Section 3 of the Bill violates the existing law of land as per section 158 of the MLR & LR Act, 1960 and also Article 300 and Article 371 C of the Constitution of India", Dr Sanga said.

"This is provocative and could easily incite ethnic conflict between the hills and the valley.

The entire hills areas will easily be encroached by the Government and also shall be owned by private or trader in collaboration with the State Government and become property of the elites, mostly of the valley people", asserted Sanga.

Despite having mixed opinions about the Bill, all the members in the meeting questioned the intention of the Government behind the Bill.

The members resolved to meet the Governor of the State to discuss the Bill.

The members also resolved to meet tribal MLAs and six ADC chairmen to discuss and deliberate on the Bill.

The meeting further resolved to hold more rounds of consultative meetings to discuss the Bill.

Many representatives of several tribal based organisations participated in the consultative meeting.

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