MMTU calls for graft-free land allotment process
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 13 2024:
In a move aimed at checking corruption and ensuring fair access to land rights, Meetei/Meitei Tribe Union (MMTU) has advised officials of the Revenue and Settlement Department not to accept bribes during land record processes, including allotment of land to landless individuals.
In a statement, MMTU also urged the officials to streamline processes, refrain from complicating things and causing undue hardships on the populace along with calling upon politicians and high-profile individuals to abstain from leveraging their power to influence land-related matters while emphasising the importance of impartiality and non-discrimination in public service.
Highlighting the threat faced by indigenous communities from both internal and external forces, MMTU reiterated its longstanding demand for granting of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meetei people.
Despite persistent appeals, both the Central and state governments have thus far overlooked this crucial constitutional safeguard, leaving the indigenous community vulnerable and marginalised, it said.
Maintaining that one of the most pressing issues is the alarming prevalence of families without legal land documents, effectively barring them from accessing government schemes and financial assistance, as well as other essential services, MMTU termed as shocking discovery during recent surveys about several families without any legal land document.
They also came across a July 4, 2015 news report published in The Telegraph that pointed a staggering 70 percent of the population in Manipur lacking proper land documentation, exacerbating the plight of already marginalised communities.
These families belong to those living in poverty, the statement said.
Regarding causes of the dire situation, MMTU cited systemic flaws in the implementation of the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (MLR&LR) Act, rampant corruption within ministerial and departmental ranks, and pernicious political interference in land-related processes.
These revelations underscore the urgent need for comprehensive reform and stringent enforcement of existing laws to safeguard the rights of vulnerable populations, it continued.
Subsequent to such alarming findings, MMTU called upon the government to establish a dedicated committee tasked to conduct extensive survey to assess the scope of the problem and formulate effective solutions.
Moreover, the Union implored the revenue and settlement department to expedite land allotment processes with utmost sincerity and integrity, eschewing corrupt practices that perpetuate injustice and inequality.
The statement further urged landless families to acquire land allotment forms from the relevant department and submit the same to their respective SDC offices.
MMTU is ready to extend support to landless families in navigating the bureaucratic labyrinth in submission of the application, the union assured.