'Cong enhanced forest cover, BJP brings it down'
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, January 18 2025:
In a sharp response to chief minister N Biren Singh's repeated accusation that outsiders coming to Manipur illegally destroyed forest by planting poppy during the tenure of former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, Congress MLA K Ranjit said Manipur's forest cover reduced by 760.54 sq km during Biren's time while it was enhanced during Congress.
Mayang Imphal Block Congress Committee felicitated Lok Sabha MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam at Mayang Imphal Bengoon Mayai Leikai on Saturday and organised a block level interaction programme.
The event was attended by former chief minister and CLP leader Okram Ibobi Singh, MLA K Ranjit, MLA Th Lokeswar, former minister Dr Kh Ratankumar and other former Congress MLAs and workers.
Addressing gathering at the event, MLA K Ranjit said chief minister N Biren Singh repeatedly blamed the past Congress government led by Okram Ibobi Singh of destroying forest cover of the state.
However, forest cover of the state was found increased by 127sqkm during the tenure of O Ibobi when investigated thoroughly.
As per the India State of Forest Reports (ISFR) conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, forest cover of Manipur decreased by 760.54 sq km between the year 2017 and 2023, the tenure of chief minister N Biren Singh.
Upon close study of the ISFR report from the year 2002 to 2017 on bi-yearly basis, Manipur's forest cover increased by 127sqkm, during the tenure of O Ibobi Singh.
As per assessment report for the year 2017, Manipur's forest cover was 17,346 sq km but forest cover of the state reduced to 16585.46 sq km as per assessment report for the year 2023.Assessment report for the year 2025 is yet to come out, Ranjit said adding that CM Biren must acknowledge that forest cover of the state reduced significantly during his time and not during O Ibobi Singh's tenure.
Regarding the reaction of chief minister N Biren to one of his statement in which he called the CM 'Bondhu', MLA Ranjit said that he used the term thinking that CM Biren was once his friend.
He would not use the word if the CM feels offended, he said.
In response to a statement of the CM, who said that he became the CM as it was in his fate and asked others not to get jealous of his position, Ranjit said that there is nothing to get jealous of N Biren.
He also strongly criticized the CM's remark in which he blamed him (Ranjit) for the fate of Sugnu, and said that it was the peace commit tee formed under his initiative that kept Sugnu peaceful for 28 days when the crisis engulfed the whole state.
It was also his initiative that saved the lives of 99 innocent labourers trapped deep in the hills.
He said that unlike the CM, he has been with the village volunteers and his local people, spending sleepless nights on the ground when Kukis attacked the area.
He recalled how the CM expressed resentment and stated that he might come down on the ground to face the aggressors, and said that the CM used a non-existent God called Wangoo Ningthou to draw public sympathy.
Now, he is hiding his tail like a coward, the MLA added.
MLA Ranjit said that after the devastation of Sugnu and Serou, he along with development committee of his constituency and well-wishers took up the initiative of allowing displaced people to carry out farming in 383 hectares of farmland by providing necessary inputs.
It was this initiative that helped the BJP government in submitting positive report to the Centre, he added.
He alleged the CM of keeping himself busy by criticising Rahul Gandhi for wearing T-shirt and P Chidambaram for posting on X instead of taking up steps to resolve the crisis as the leader of the state.
The CM has no right to speak on Rahul Gandhi wearing T-shirt, jeans and slippers in the Parliament.
He is allowed by the Speaker to join the Parliament debate under Article 122 of the Constitution.
Moreover, BJP will not know what former CM O Ibobi did and said to AICC leaders to make Chidambaram delete his tweet within a few hours, he said.
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