Khuman Lampak Sports Complex converted into private property
Kitchen gardening, indiscriminate felling down of trees adds to misery of the Sports Complex
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Ratneshwari Goswami

Imphal, November 13 2012: With the State Government showing no sign of concern to the maintenance of the one and only Sports Complex of the State, the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex has turned into a private property with various individuals carrying out kitchen gardening and cutting down trees at their sweet will.

Under such conditions, Khuman Lampak Sports Complex has today become the best place to plant crops and acquire woods, without having to climb a hill, for the neighbouring localities.

The area where kitchen farming is being carried out illegally by cutting the age-old trees, which used to enhance the scenic beauty of the Complex, is on the northern side of the sports complex adjacent to Dingku Road.

The kitchen gardening is being done by people settling in the nearby Nagaram village after climbing the fencing wall of the sports complex.

To make their entry into the sports complex easier for the purpose of kitchen gardening, locals of Nagaram are using different types of ladders along the side of Dingku Road as well as from inside the sports complex.

Apart from this, locals with well built bodies also climbed up the 10 feet high Iron-Gate of the sports complex to carry out their activities inside.

They cut down trees using all possible means and take the woods home.

All sorts of seasonal crops could be seen growing inside the sports complex after the trees have been cleared.

Interestingly, these locals 'seriously' claim that the sites where they are carrying out kitchen gardens as the landed-property of their uncles', grandmothers' and so on.

They come to their 'claimed' land in the morning and went back home after doing the day's work in the evening.

The most embarrassing part of the whole situation is the ambiguity over the authorities to look after and safeguard the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex at present.

A battalion of IRB is located inside the sports complex but none of the security personnel or their officials cares to stop the illegal encroachment of the locals from Nagaram.

One woman, wife of a retired security personnel, who was found being engaged in kitchen gardening inside the Sports Complex told Hueiyen Lanpao that she has been carrying out kitchen gardening after her husband got permission from higher officials.

With no sign of any authority for the maintenance and upkeep of the one and only sports complex, there have been reports of scuffle among the sportspersons coming to the complex for practicing and the kitchen gardeners almost on daily basis.

Though the high officials of the Sports Complex are aware of the fact, nothing has been said and done so far.

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