Land acquisition for sports varsity : Land owners brace to confront Govt
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 28 2015 :
Stating that no sportsperson can play any game on an empty stomach, the Affected Land Owner's Asso-ciation Against Forced Land Acquisition for Sports Univer-sity has said that they are set to confront the Government to protect their land.
Speaking to reporters at Manipur Press Club, association president Md Alimuddin said that they would never concede to Government's forceful eviction for setting up a sports university at Yaithibi Loukol.
The State Government is still not willing to consider people's demand regarding the issue although the association had made their stand clear in different memoranda submitted to the Chief Minister, Governor and other concerned authorities, he added.
Alleging that the Government has issued 'patas' to different Government Departments without giving any information to respective land owners, Md Alimuddin said that it was a blatant lie that the Government had completed the necessary process of acquiring 213 acres of land at Yaithibi Loukol.
No land owner had ever given their consent to the Government regarding the matter, he claimed.
Issuance of land 'patas' to different Government Departments without the knowledge and consent of land owners and villagers was an example of Government's insincerity on the issue, he added.
Maintaining that no sports-person can play any game on an empty stomach, Md Alimuddin urged the Government to set up the sports university at another place.
Taking part at the press conference, Protection of Agricultural and Natural Resources Organisation advisor Mutum Churamani said that it is illogical to set up a sports university by acquiring agricultural land.
People are not opposing to setting up of the univarsity but they are against turning the agricultural land, which is a source of livelihood for thousands of people, into an institutional area in the name of development and promotion of sports.
Saying that 95 per cent of Yaithibi Loukol is cultivable land, Md Alimuddin said that agricultural produces coming from this land not only feed the common people but also the Ministers and bureaucrats of the State Government.
The varsity can be established at Awang Lamphel or Koutrok where people of these areas are offering land for the said purpose, he added.
Association joint secretary Md Najimuddin said that they are ready to confront with Government's forceful land acquisition exercise.