Govindas dismisses anti-tribal Govt slur
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, April 27 2023:
While stating that the eviction at Tribal Colony was carried out with the permission of the court, works minister Govindas Konthoujam expressed regret that attempts are being made by some group of people to portray the CM Biren-led BJP government as anti-tribal.
Addressing a press meet at his office in Old Secretariat, here on Thursday, Govindas said that it was unfortunate of Kuki People's Alliance (KPA), which is part of the government, attempting to portray the ruling government as anti-tribal for carrying out the eviction in Tribal Colony, as published in three local English dailies.
Stating that the government had constructed quarters and colonies in various places to accommodate its employees from the hill districts so as to help them perform their duties well.
In addition to the quarters and colonies are over 50 years old and being not up to the taste of contemporary times, more people higher than the allotted numbers were found residing in the quarters and some of the places used as garbage dumping sites.
Thus, efforts were made to reconstruct the quarters and colonies into multi-storey structures.
As part of this initiative, an eviction of Tribal Colony was carried out after obtaining due permission of the court.
The attempts made by some people to put a communal angle over the eviction are all out of self-vested interests, he contended.
Govindas continued that the government had constructed numerous quarters and colonies for its employees at Langol Game Village, Lamphelpat Quarters, Langol Housing Colony, Sanjenthong and Babupara.
Over 70 percent of the residents are from the hills.
The residents who were evicted from Tribal Colony were already allotted quarters in other colonies and provided a 15-day period to move their belongings.
As per a government order, Type-1 and 2 quarters will be constructed into multi-storey buildings.
Thus, the government has begun taking up steps to reconstruct the quarters and colonies, equipped with a community hall and gyms.
Stating that some group of people, out of their selfish interests, are trying to portray the developmental works take up by the government, as being against another community and the majority community as communal; the minister recounted that after Manipur attained statehood in 1972, its first chief minister was from the minority community i.e., Md Alimuddin.
Since then, the state has had 10 chief ministers from the tribal communities and two from the minority.
Also, around 90 percent of the total area of the state is hill-based and 10 percent valley-based.
Of the 10 percent, 2 percent are wetlands and as such, we have been living together in harmony for many years in the only area of 8 percent.
Informing that the state government had allocated 50 percent in the state budget for the hill areas, something that had never been done before; Govindas said that the government had sanctioned huge amount of funds to repair the two highways, which are the lifelines of the state.
Majority of the funds had been used as land compensation.
The compensation are often disbursed twice after some groups claim ownership of the land and take the compensation, but another group shows up to claim ownership of the land.
All of these have delayed completion of the repair work of the highways, he conveyed.
Regarding KPA's statements of the government targeting a certain community by demolishing churches and that the ruling government is anti-tribal; the minister cited an order of the Supreme Court restricting construction of any religious structure on government land or colony.
In accordance to this order, the Manipur government issued an order on April 3, 2010, banning construction of any religious structures on the aforementioned land.
After this, a committee at the state and district level was formed and deliberated on the matter, following which the consecutive actions were carried out.
According to the order, no religious structures can be constructed in the quarters and colonies built by the Manipur government to accommodate its employees.
As such, the demolition of churches in the quarters and tribal colonies was carried out as part of the government's plan to reconstruct the quarters and colonies, only after obtaining the permission of the Manipur High Court.
Neither the eviction nor the demolition is targeting any specific community, he contended.
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