Evicted families seek alternative arrangement
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, June 11 2011: Fourteen families whose houses were demolished in the June 6 eviction drive at Lamphel area today urged the state government to provide them shelter.

In a press conference held at Manipur Press Club today, representing the victim families, evicted victim, Tongbram Gunadhor alleged that the government did not serve any prior notice on them.

He related that instead of serving notice for eviction, a team of Lamphel police came around 11 am on June 5 and pasted a public notice on the door of a house in the locality and the eviction drive started in the early hours next day.

Due to time constraint, they could not arrange alternative shelters and were forced to stay at makeshift structures erected on the road side.

Apart from this, Gunadhor said, as most of residents were fishermen, they are still unable to make alternative arrangements for settlement.

Some residents have suffered from illnesses.

Two pregnant women and three children are among those who have suffered from illness, he added.

Asserting that they have been residing in the area since the last 30 years and possess patta (land owner certificate) Gunadhor hinted that even though the eviction drive was related with development plans, according to the officials, there seems to be a hidden plan.

Maibam Nganbi (70), who also present at the press conference, lamented that if the government had provided alternative space, they would have shifted well in advance before rendering them homeless.

She alleged that many houses in the surrounding khas land areas were not evicted by the government.

She wanted to know the government's motive behind the selected eviction.

In the press meet, Nganbi fainted in front of the reporters.

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