Lamka, August 18 2010: The Chief Minister has assured to rectify the 'injustice' meted out to native tribals of the state within ten days at a delegation-level meeting between the state government and COPTAM representatives at the CM's office chamber yesterday, COPTAM chairman said today.

A 15-member delegation of the committee had yesterday discussed all the issues it had since put-forth to a delegation of the state government which included the Chief Minister, Revenue minister, Health minister, minister of TD and Hills, and Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Hill Areas Committee.

Addressing the media today, COPTAM chairman Letpu Haokip said, the government on their side recognised the legitimate issues being raised by the committee and hence admitted in the first place that the map prepared by MARSAC was unofficial which was never accepted by the government.

"They acknowledged that there was a huge distortion of district boundaries on the said map and assured immediate corrective measures from the department of Science and Technology," he said.

Incidentally it was Phungzathang, a local representative who was in-charge of the department.

Letpu went on to claim that the government on its side admitted that the controversial signboard erected by the PWD at Kangvai was due to an oversight of the department, for which the Chief Minister himself admitted.

The officials concerned have been reprimanded and instructed to refrain from reinstalling the same structure.

On the overlapping census, the government admitted to erroneous inclusions and assured necessary corrective measures.

"They have appointed a committee headed by the Chief Secretary to address the issue, and we are hopeful that corrective measures are taken up immediately," he expressed.

"Though reluctant to address the issue of district boundaries, we have compelled them to do so and pointed out that it was their actions or inactions which made the issue sensitive and communal.

Had the government stuck to the original land records there won't be a problem as we did not demand a new boundary," the Chairman said with a matter of certainty and added that the govt now understands the urgent nature of issue.

The government further assured us that henceforth all hill districts' land records should be maintained by the respective hill districts, and for this the concern minister have also agreed to issue necessary orders from his side, Letpu confided to the mediapersons.

The delay in devolution of power to the ADC also came up for discussion in the two-and-half hour long meeting, in which the CM is understood to have told the representatives that it was due to non-finalisation of the issue by ministers and MLAs from the hill areas.

COPTAM also claimed that they have snubbed the suggestion to replace the existing Chiefship with Village Council; and establish a separate directorate of settlement for hills.

The Chiefship is a traditional tribal institution which cannot be altered and the ADCs have been empowered enough to maintain and manage the tribal land, was the alleged argument they made.

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