MNDF interacts with dam affected people
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 26 2016:
A team of the Manipur National Democratic Front (MNDF) today interacted with leaders of 15 downstream villages affected by Mapithel Dam.
Leaders of the Mapithel Dam Affected Ching-Tam Organisation (MDACTO) and the Joint Redressal Council (JRC) were also present at the interaction programme held at Nongdam Tangkhul village.
MDACTO chairman Ramthar Shaiza said that people of Mapithel Dam downstream people have been literally scratching for livelihood after the authority's promise to provide an economic package has not materialised till today.
Nongdam Tangkhul village headman Ramthing said that no consent was sought from people who would be affected by Mapithel Dam before the dam construction work started.
Majority of the people living in the downstream were earning their livelihood through agriculture and allied activities and quarrying sand and stones.
All these traditional means of livelihood were uprooted once the dam was constructed.
Moreover, they have not been paid any compensation for the paddy fields, homesteads and households destroyed or rendered inaccessible by the dam.
The Government has no sympathy for the suffering people, Ramthing decried.
MNDF president Ch Priyokumar said that they have talked about the people affected by Mapithel with the Union Minister concerned in the presence of JRC members which was followed by another meeting with top officials of the Ministry.
The top officials of the Ministry stated that they could not intervene if the affected people have been given compensation.
If the affected people approach Court and the Court issues any directive in favour of the affected people, the Ministry can take up strong actions, conveyed Ch Priyokumar.
He said that they need to take up the issue together with the affected people.
MNDF senior vice-president Bijoy Koijam said that people are unhappy with the Government's decisions regarding Mapithel Dam.
Mapithel Dam was serving as a source of earning personnel wealth for Ministers who took charge of the Department concerned, Bijoy Koijam said.
He pointed out that it has been 37 years since the Mapithel Dam construction work started.
MNDF is one political party committed to uniform development of Manipur which need not wait for approval or consent of high command.
Bijoy expressed strong reservation against commissioning the dam without first redressing grievances of the affected people.
He said that MNDF would support any agitation launched by the affected people.