MDAHCEO, JAC-AFCMD stage sit-in
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, October 11 2021:
Denouncing the government for not respecting the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) it signed with Mapithel Dam Affected Headmen Chief & Elders' Organisation (MDAHCEO) and Joint Action Committee against Force Construction of Mapithel Dam (JAC-AFCMD) on December 4, 2020; a sit-in protest was staged by the affected villagers of Mapithel Dam along with MDAHCEO and JAC-AFCMD at Lamlai Khunou in Kamjong district on Monday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the protest, MDAHCEO chairman M Ngaranmi recounted that of the several villages affected by Mapithel Dam, 7 have not received the Economic Livelihood Rehabilitation package from the government till date.
According to the MoA, the agreement was supposed to be fulfilled in 2021.An ultimatum was also served to the government to release the package by September 16.As no response was given, a 48-hour bandh was imposed from October 6 along Imphal-Kamjong road and Imphal-Ukhrul highway.
However, despite all of these, the government has remained deaf and dumb, thus prompting the villagers to stage the sit-in protest on Monday, he conveyed.
The MDAHCEO chairman then said that as their demands have not been fulfilled, the Water Reservoir of Mapithel Dam from Thoubal Multipurpose project should be relocated.
The villagers truly support the developmental works taken up by the state government and it is only right for the government to release the remaining package.
However, it is unfortunate that the government is still feigning ignorance of the matter.
Thus, until the government releases the package as indicated in the MoA, various forms of agitations will continue, he cautioned.