COPTAM flays
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 16 2012:
The Committee on Protection of Tribal Areas, Manipur (COPTAM) has flayed the statement of Revenue Minister, Th Debendra, who said on the floor of the just concluded Assembly that MLR & LR Act would be extended in the hill areas of Manipur.
A statement issued by the secretary of COPTAM, Thangkam Lupheng advised the Minister to remember Constitutional provisions for safeguarding and protecting the tribal land, customs, cultures and rights, etc while affirming to oppose any attempt to extend the MLR&LR Act in the hill/tribal areas of the State.
COPTAM also vehemently denounced the Cabinet decision to conduct Hill land survey while stating that all lands in the hill areas are maintained and looked after by the village chiefs.
Maintaining that the attempt to conduct land survey in the hill areas is unreasonable, COPTAM also considered the move as a sinister design of the State government to take control of all the land belonging to the tribal people of Manipur.
The statement also demanded that the land records be transferred to the respective BDO/Districts immediately.