Villagers of Andro today said that they will not allow any encroachers to the disputed land Chaphu-Uppi area until a solution is meted out between Sandangsenba Maring Village and Andro. In a press meet held today at Manipur Press Club, here in Imphal, Village Chief of Andro Ch. Gandhar said that the area is reserved for festival of ‘Umang Lai’, an indigenous deity, and no cultivation should take place at the said area.
Chappu-Uppi area has been declared disputed area after conflict arises between Andro Villagers and Sandangsenba Maring Villagers over its village boundary. The area has been clamped under CrPC 144 since 2014 by Imphal East district administration and till now it has not been lifted, Gandhar said.
He further added that some Villagers of Sandangsenba Maring Village had started encroaching the land and began Jhum cultivation this year.
“In June this year we had lodged a complaint to the Andro Police station to prevent the encroachers at the area and had also appealed the Sandangsenba Village authority to stop the Jhum cultivation”, Gandhar added.
He further added that a large number of people from Andro Village yesterday destroyed the cultivation as neither the police had taken up any action against the encroachers nor the Sandangsenba villagers had stopped cultivation at the area.