Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, August 23:
The Planning and Development Authority, PDA, has strongly denied allegations of irregularities in allocation for some land in the Lamphelpat area to private individuals earlier this year.
Reacting to reports appearing in the media in this connection, the secretary, PDA, Y Surchandra Singh, maintained that he allotment of land to 34 individuals of residential proposes on lease hold basis was done in strict observance of the procedures and formalities laid down in the Manipur Town and Country Planning Act, 1975, and its relevant rules.
In a statement, Surchandra said the PDA was competent to allot any land within the Master Plan area with the prior concurrence/approval of the state government as provided under section 50 of the MTCP act, 1975, read with the relevant rules of the MTCP (Land Allotment) Rules, 1979.It said the allotment of lands in question was taken up as a follow up action of a resolution adopted by the Authority in a meeting held on May 5, 2000, according approval to regularization of land holdings of the encroachers in area earmarked for residential use in the approved Master Plan for Greater Imphal, subject to the condition that the allottees should be landless persons, and the area of land to be allotted should not exceed 0.20 acres.
In this regard, the statement said the 34 applicants for allocations of the land in question were listed as encroachers in the dag chitha issued by the department of settlement and land records, and were also certified by the concerned sub deputy collectors as landless persons.
The area in questions falls within the Master Plan area and the area of land asked for allotment was less than 0.20 acres, the statement said.
It added that the no objection certificate required from the town planning department for allotment of land within the Master Plan area was also obtained vide letters no.8/3/98-TP (Pt)/835 dated 22/8/2000 and no.8/3/98-TP (Pt) /836 dated 2/9/2000.further, as required under the MTCP Act, the PDA submitted a proposal to the government for consideration of allotment, and the state government conveyed its approval to the proposed allotment vide Govt, order letter no.2/29/2000-MAHUD dt.