VA threatens
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 19 2017: The Marangching (Makhuam) Village Authority has threatened to ban all construction works of Imphal-Jiribam railway project indefinitely with effect from December 20 .

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here today, Marangching Khullakpa Namronlung Gondamei said that they have been constrained to ban the railway work at Marangching and surrounding areas as no positive response is forthcoming to the memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister on December 10 .

The Marangching Village Authority has been appealing to the Chief Minister to assign a senior officer not below the rank of Chief Secretary or Additional Chief Secretary to enquire into payment of compensation to two individuals by the Tamenglong DC based on forged documents for land affected by railway track construction .

Except for a single vehicle used in ferrying essential commodities, all the vehicles and machines of private companies working under Northern Frontier Railway should be de-activated, Namronlung Gondamei said .

NF Railway and private companies working under it should bear responsibility for any untoward incident that breaks out during the ban .

Stringent punitive measures should be initiated against the Tamenglong DC and UBI for giving away the compensation amount of around Rs 36 crore to Thangkulung Gangmei and Kh Lovejoy which is entitled to Marangching village .

The Government should also take the responsibility of recovering the said amount from the two individuals, he said .

The Tamenglong DC issued an order on March 21 this year stating that compensation would be awarded based on Court judgement to the existing land dispute .

Even as the Court of Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority, Tamenglong fixed June 30 for hearing the litigation, the Tamenglong DC issued cheques of the compensation amount to the two individuals on June 16, Namronlung Gondamei said .

Later on July 5, the DC and villagers of Marangching held a meeting and the DC agreed to freeze the bank accounts of the two individuals .

However, the DC informed the villagers through SDO concerned on August 28 that Thangkulung had already encashed the compensation amount .

It is such arbitrary payment of compensation amidst pending Court judgement which has compelled the village authority to ban the railway project, he added.

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