IT News
Imphal, April 26:
The adage – ‘when you point finger to someone, the remaining three fingers points at you’ seems quite relevant to what had happened on April 23, in Ushoipokpi and Waithou area. Almost every citizen of the state applauded Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and his cabinet colleagues for showing their anger at seeing encroachers constructing structures on the forest land at Waithou Reserved Forest Area in Thoubal district after the government had widened the road (NH-1).
On that day the Chief Minister had ordered the police to arrest all those engaging in the construction of illegal structures stating that strict measures should be taken up against all encroachers in the Protected forest areas as well as in the Reserved Forest areas.
However, when one remembers, it was the Chief Minister N. Biren Singh himself that laid the foundation stone for the construction of Haj House at the same spot where he gave the order to drive out all construction between Usoipokpi to Waithou area on January 1, 2022 in the Presence of RS MP Leishemba Sanajaoba and other leaders. MLA Md. Abdul Nashir was among those present in the foundation stone laying ceremony.
Soon after the CM poured his anger, the district administration conducted a spot enquiry the following day and started verification of the so-called Patta holders occupying the land which literally belongs to the government as well as which is under the protection by forest acts.
The question now is, will the Haj House, which the Chief Minister had laid the foundation be a sideline. Will the site for the construction of the Haj house be shifted somewhere else? Or will the government allow it as the Haj house is meant for religious purpose? So many questions are being asked.
Saying so it is well and good that the Chief Minister this time showed some seriousness to protect the forest land. But why only this time, after there have been multiple reports of encroaching the forest land, particularly at this site in Thoubal district.
As per a source, the Manipur Forest Department had tried time and again to stop the illegal collection of earth from the Reserved Forest area including the Waithou hill range. “Every time the Forest department captured any JCB drivers or any persons responsible in this illegal matter, there were phone calls to release them as they were backed by the Manipur MLA or Minister”, the source from the Forest department said.
He further added that there were reports of cutting of pine trees at Chanam Sandrok hill area. The staff of Thoubal Forest went to stop it but they were attacked by gunshots. Even a sit-in protest was staged on that matter by the staff of Thoubal and Kakching Forest Department.
The Government has neither taken any action against the responsible culprits but the Government made transferred the DFO of the Forest Department, added the anonymous forest officer.
