Govt sets straight tax record in hills
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 26 2012: Setting the record straight, the State Government has informed the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) that though house taxes are imposed in the hill districts of Manipur, no land tax is collected.

This information was furnished to the NCST by the Tribal Affairs and Hills Department following a petition filed by the Committee on the Protection of Tribals Areas of Manipur (COPTAM) .

In the information furnished to the NCST, the State Government said that tribal people inhabit the five hill districts of Manipur, namely Churachandpur, Chandel, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul and added that villages in these districts pay only house tax and not land revenue.

However in case of survey areas of the district, land revenue is also paid and these problems arise in areas adjacent to the valley districts, namely, Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bish-nupur.

On the overlapping of Census Operation raised by the NCST, the State Government pointed out that overlapping of district jurisdiction over certain villages was reported by the Deputy Commissioners in connection with the conduct of Census 2011 .

Following this a committee headed by the Chief Secretary was constituted and the Cabinet authorised the committee to examine the records with the Government Departments, explained the Tribal Affairs and Hills Department.

Inputs through field verifications were also sought.

On other points raised such as random census reduction of tribals, the State Government informed that there is no imposition of fixed decadal population growth rate for tribals in Manipur.

On the allegations that the attempts are being made to encroach upon tribal lands, the State Government has replied that the matter is under verification and added that on the issue of Forest Act and tribal rights, the department of Forest and Environment has mentioned that nothing has been taken up against the interest of the tribal people.

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