Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 30 2010:
An interim order of the Gauhati High Court, Imphal Bench today directed the authority concern of the state government to recover the percentage amount cut by the an underground group included in signing Suspension of Operation from the affected land owners of the Integrated Check Post at Moreh.
The court also further asked the authority to submit a report on the action taken to the directive within three weeks time in response to the petition filed by the chairman of the JAC of ICP, Moreh ward no-I, Semjathang Haokip and its secretary Ngamjathang Lungdim.
The respondent of the petition were state chief secretary, DGP, commissioner (home), DC and SP of Chandel and chief general manager of the United Bank of India (UBI), Moreh branch.
The ruling was given by Justice Mutum Binoykumar of the Imphal Bench of the Gauhati High Court and notices were issued to the respondents.
The court in its interim order also given the respondents three week time to submit reply to the court and also asked the authority of the UBI, Moreh branch to stop withdrawals of the compensation with immediate effect.
The two petitioners prayed for court intervention in recovery of the money cut off by the underground group from the compensation amount given to the land owners affected by the ICP.
During the hearing advocate Khiadem Mani, the counsel of the petitioners said that government has compensated to 297 affected by the land acquisition for the construction of the ICP.
Government released Rs 21,48,095 for the purpose of payment of compensations to the land owners.
From the compensation amount, underground KNA/KNO enjoying maintaining cease fire trust under the Suspension of Operation imposed diktat that they will cut 57 percent of the compensation amount received by the land owners.
On receiving the threats from the outfit, the JAC had appraised the authority concerns of the state government to issue the compensation cheque amounts in Imphal branch of the UBI.
Without considering the plea of the landowners, the DC Chandel issued an order on April 20 asking the landowners to collect the compensation from the Moreh branch of the UBI.
Following the order landowners started collecting the compensations from the said bank.
Out of the compensation amounts KNA/KNO has collected Rs 17,76,000, Mani said in the court praying the court to intervene and direct the state government respondents to recover the amounts and handover to the landowners.
He also prayed the court to ask the UBI authority at Moreh to stop further issue of the cash amount to the landowners with immediate effect and shifted the place in one of the branch of the bank in Imphal.