Agriculture land protection meeting held
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 22 2013: A joint meeting convened by Committee on Protection of Agricultural Land, Heingang at Heingang Mayai Leikai today deliberated on Government policies detrimental to the interest of the state farmers.

The meeting held with Heingang Gram panchayat pradhan Likmabam Manihar, All Manipur Progressive Farmers' Association functionary joy Nongmaithem and local elder P Tomba as the chief guest, president and guest of honour also resolved to oppose the State Government's proposal for development of Manipuri Pony Sanctuary at Marjing in Heingang on the ground that the project would eventually mean loss of nearly 26 hectares of prime agricultural land.

Referring to the recent launch of National Food Security Act and welcoming the noble project, many speakers, however pointed out that taking into account frequent bandh and road blockades implementation of the said Act might not be effective or provide benefit to the people.

Moreover with the Act aimed at enabling the common citizens have easy access to rice and other food items at highly subsidised rate the policy is certain to threaten existence of the mostly poor farmers of Manipur, said the speakers suggesting that instead of stockpiling rice at the Government godowns from other agriculturally advanced States a policy be worked out under which paddy products of the local farmers be purchased at an acceptable rate for further distribution to the people.

They also cautioned that Government announcement for the agricultural land owners to receive four-times more than the existing market rate in case of sale of the land would be an anti-dote to the ongoing campaign for saving agricultural land with the explanation that most farmers being economically unsound they could be easily convinced to sell the land.

The speakers further proposed that an effective policy be put in place to protect existing agricultural land with the reminder that implementation of the Food Security Act could not be sustained when there are no more land to grow food items.

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