17 Meetei families face eviction in Lamphel: Bijoy
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, March 12 2024:
Amid the nearly year-old humanitarian crisis in the state with thousands of families forced to stay in relief camps, the state government is allegedly trying to evict 17 families of Meetei community from Lamphel Khunou area in the name development project.
Addressing a press meet at his Lamphel Khunou residence, here, on Tuesday, political commentator Ch Bijoy pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurating and laying foundation stone for several projects.
A 50-bedded mental hospital to be constructed at a cost of Rs 70 crore under PM DevINE scheme was among the projects for which the PM laid the foundation stone.
But it has turned out that the government gave away the land for the mental hospital without consulting the locals, after which the residents filed a PIL to the court followed by the latter directing the government to maintain status quo until March 21 .
Bijoy said that there is already a 50-bed-ded mental hospital as well as government land nearby.
The locality was notified as residential area by the state cabinet in 1992 and CM Biren himself had assured of providing land document to the residents of the village.
Unfortunately, the government ignored all the past decisions and assurances, and chose the area for the new hospital.
The residents submitted memorandum to the Prime Minister, the chief minister and the chief secretary requesting to relocate the project.
But contrary to that, the government served eviction notice to the residents, he said, while terming the site selection of the project as politically motivated, which could tarnish reputation of PM Modi.
While welcoming any development projects including the mental hospital, he urged the government to choose non-residential areas in state land for taking up such projects instead of harassing the people.