Railway works banned
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 26 2018: Alleging that they have not been compensation for their lands acquired for construction of Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal railway project, Okoklong villagers have banned all railway works indefinitely.

Okoklong village is located within Nungba sub-division of Noney district.

The villagers today staged a protest demonstration at one end of the railway line's tunnel no 10.They blocked movement of vehicles by putting boulders, bamboos and timber across the road.

Okoklong village chief Athui Rongmei told reporters that a private construction company engaged by the NF Railway had completed construction of tunnel no 10 as well as adit 1 and adit 2 (underground passage) and trucks cannowmove through the tunnel.

However, villagers have not been paid compensation for their lands acquired for construction of the tunnels and the adits.

The villagers were not given any information when the area was surveyed for the railway project, Athui Rongmei said.

Nonetheless, the villagers are in possession of a letter sent by the Silchar based NF Railway's Deputy Chief Engineer (Construction) to the State Government on December 7, 2016 in order to acquire 4.44 hectares for construction of the tunnel and the two adits.

The village chief maintained that the villagers' agitation would continue until their due compensations are paid.

The villagers impounded one truck loaded with steel rods which was moving through the tunnel.

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