Landless families will be rehabilitated: CM
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 29 2022: Chief minister N Biren has said that the government will take up rehabilitation process for genuine landless families who were evicted from Waithou reserved forest area on June 12.The chief minister stated this while responding to the Policy Cut Motion raised by Opposition member K Meghachandra when Demand for Grants for forest and environment was moved for discussion in the assembly on Friday.

Raising the Motion, Meghachandra said that a total of 69 houses were evicted on June 12 last on the ground that those houses were built illegally within Waithou Reserved Forest area.

Some of the families settling in those houses procured land document and some did not.

As government gave no time for alternative arrangement, the eviction drive left around 200 members of 69 families homeless and they are still taking shelter either on the road side or with their near and dear ones.

The chief minister had during the time promised to allot land to the families who have no land at all but no positive action has been initiated till date, he reminded and expressed his strong displeasure about government's partisan attitude related to the eviction drive.

He also informed the House that many houses are constructed in Reserved Forest areas in other parts of the state but the eviction drive was conducted only at Waithou.

Clarifying to the points raised by the MLA, CM Biren said that he too felt sorry for those evicted families but emotion cannot rule the government.

The eviction drive was conducted in accordance with the Constitution and in the larger interest of the state and its people.

However, government will discuss about providing land and rehabilitation process if any of the evicted families genuinely have no land at all, he said, adding that DCs concerned will conduct enquiry to as certain genuineness of the landless families and will accordingly take up steps for rehabilitation.

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