Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 21 2008:
On the proposed plan to acquire 66.9 acres of Defence land in Koirengei area and the arrangement to provide an area of the same size to the Army authority near Leimakhong army garrison, a high level meeting presided by Chief Minister O Ibobi was held today.
The meeting was attended by Cabinet Ministers, Chief Secretary, DGP, Principal Secretary (Home) and Principal Secretary (Revenue).
As the Army authority would prefer the land near their Leimakhong Army garrison in place of the present one at Leimakhong, the meeting decided that the Imphal West DC and the Home Dept should select an appropriate site near the Leimakhong Army garrison.
The meeting, after taking note of the strong objection raised by local people against setting up army post at Waithou even as the State Government has allotted 150 acres of land for the same, studied the feasibility of allotting land for an Army post near Khongjom.
The high level meeting entrusted the Bishnupur DC to find an alternative site to shift the army post presently occupying Red Hills, Nambol.
A decision to this effect was arrived at after taking into account the strong objection raised by people against locating the army post at Red Hills.
The State Government has already intimated the Army authority about its plan to exchange the Defence land at Koirengei with another land of the same area near its Leimakhong garrison.
However, the Army authority has reportedly expressed their intention to do the deal based on the values of land.
Acknowledging the variation in land values, the meeting asked Imphal West DC and the Home Dept to strike an agreement with the army without any delay even at the cost of providing land larger in area than the existing Defence land
at Koirengei.