JAC bans canal digging work
Source: The Sangai Express
Thoubal, October 20 2013:
The JAC Heirok Branch Canal Affected Land Owners' Association has declared a ban on digging Heirok branch canal on the ground that the JAC's demands put up to the State Government have not been addressed.
A decision to this end was adopted at a public meeting held at Nongpok Sekmai community hall today under the aegis of the JAC Heirok Branch Canal Affected Land Owners' Association.
Many speakers who addressed the meeting said that the proposed canal from Leirongthel to Heirok which would be connected to the left canal of Thoubal Multipurpose Project (Thoubal Barrage) would inundate half of the surrounding fields even if the canal provides irrigation facilities to the remaining paddy fields.
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There is no need for digging a new canal for water is available abundantly to the paddy fields from the existing canals and rivers.
They recalled that a memorandum was submitted to the Chief Minister on February 22 this year with a demand to raise the land compensation rate from Rs 5 per square feet to Rs 30 per square feet.
The affected land owners again sought an appointment with the Chief Minister on February 27 but they were not given any opportunity to highlight their points and grievances to the Chief Minister.
The Government order which invited the affected land owners to claim their compensation at the rate of Rs 5 per sq feet while the matter was still unresolved was highly condemnable, remarked the speakers.
Given such haughty and arrogant attitude of the Government, the JAC is compelled to ban all initiatives for digging canal through Salungpham, Ukhongsang, Nongpok Sekmai, Kakmayai, Leirongthel and Malom.
In case the Government tries to browbeat its way and dig canal across paddy fields of the above mentioned places, the Government should be accountable for any untoward incident resulting thereof, they stated.
Maintaining that paddy fields of these places faced neither drought nor flood situation, the speakers contended that the proposed canal would not bring any advantage but misery.