Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 06 2010:
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest S Singsit has revealed that around 52 hectares of Langol Reserved Forest area which is under the Forest Department have been allotted on the sly by the Settlement Department in favour of many individuals including police personnel and politicians.
In an exclusive interview with The Sangai Express, Singsit disclosed that out of the total 21.56 sq km of land covering Langol Reserve Forest area, Dag Chitha is found to have been issued against 52 hectares without the knowledge of Forest Department.
Recalling that his Department had tried to evict encroachers from the Reserve Forest area twice in the past, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest informed that follow up action has been stopped following a stay order from the Court.
Apart from the recommendation of the State Cabinet in one of its earlier meetings on eviction of the encroachers from the Reserve Forest area at Langol, the issue had also been discussed at the level of the Chief Minister.
But the Department has not been able to do anything owing to the stay order of the court, the officer lamented.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest further disclosed that functioning of his Department has been affected seriously as the vacant posts of 12 DFOs, 12 Assistant Conservator of Forests, 30 Foresters, 105 Forest Guards and 15 drivers are yet to be filled up.
The Department had brought up the matter to the attention of the Government, but it has not been implemented so far, he added.
According to a source from the Department, the Manipur Biodiversity Board has identified 19 sites for development as potential biodiversity heritage sites in the State.
The sites are Chingai river, Maklang, Lokchao, catchment areas of Iril and Imphal river, Siroy, Jiri-Maklu catchment, Buning, Pumlenpat, caves of Tharon and Kangkhui, Bandramiai, Tingkai, Sinzawl, Barak river, Mondum Mahadev, Tuyungbi river, Nungsum area near Sugnu, Kachaophung and Kailam area.