Sit-in protest
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 22 2014 :
Tharon villagers today staged a sit-in protest at Tharon village, Thangmeiband against the proposed construction of Imphal Ring road.
The sit-in protest organised by the Tharon Village Authority was held from 10 am till 4 pm.
Athon Gangmei, chairman of Tharon VA said that the villagers are not against people oriented development projects but against any anti-people development projects.
Besides severely affecting the villagers whose homes and land are to be uprooted, the proposed Imphal Ring road would also dislocate an Anganwadi building, a hand pump and a community pond of the village, which is inhabited by around 75 households, he said.
Athon also said that the consent of the villagers concerned was not obtained regarding the proposed Ring road which amounts to gross human rights violation.
The village was also in existence since a long time back way before the Forest Dept was set up, he said while adding that the land belongs to the indigenous inhabitants and it is not under forest area.
The proposed Ring road is also in contravention of the Right to Fair compensation and transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013, he asserted.
He further said that no social impact assessment and economic impact assessment was conducted in the village.
Besides, no public hearing for social impact assessment was done.