Body appeals against land acquisition
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 19 2013: The Sawombung Village Development Committee has appealed to the State Government not to construct FCI godown there by acquiring more lands.

Rather it urged the Government to ensure that the BDO office, SDO office, SDC office, DIC and Registrar office located at Sawombung are fully functional.

Speaking to media persons at Sawombung commu- nity hall today, Sawombung Village Development Committee secretary Moirangthem Shyamkumar said that the Government started land survey in November last year as a part of its move to acquire land in Sawombung Awang Leikai for construction of an FCI godown there.

A fresh survey was conducted in February this year together with the FCI Director.

They also asked the local people to shift away somewhere else although no official notice has been received so far.

Already, the Government has taken over large area of land in Sawombung and a number of offices constructed but none of these offices are fully functional.

Four paris of paddy fields for the BDO office, one pari for the SDO and SDC offices, 16 paris for Biramangol College, two paris for Sawombung High School, one Lourak for Sawombung Primary School, two paris for Sawombung Forest Nursery, five Sangams for Sawombung Forest Range Office and one pari for VDF post have been already taken over by the Government.

Sawombung has so far donated around 30 paris of paddy fields to the Government, Shyamkumar said.

The land resources available in Sawombung has now shrunk to a small percentage of what was available some years back and people can no longer afford to relinquish any more land resources.

The Government may construct FCI godown in the land it has already acquired but lies unused till date.

It would not be wise nor acceptable to vacate homesteads or paddy fields for construction of FCI godown, he asserted.

The BDO office was found occupied by the Chowkidar like his own home and this was observed by the visiting media team.

The other office compounds were found all covered with shrubs and bushes.

Decrying the manner in which fertile agricultural lands were acquired for construction of Government offices only to abandon them in the most unproductive manner, Shyamkumar sought immediate attention of the Government so as to ensure that all these offices function properly at the earliest.

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