IT News
Imphal, May 11:
There has been claimed from certain sections of people regarding the legitimacy of the declaration of the Forest Reserved Area in the post statehood of Manipur on the ground that any such declaration in Hill areas need to get prior approval from the Hill Area Committee (HAC) of the Manipur Legislative Assembly. Whether the condition can be applied in Forest Act or not is left to the law department of the government of Manipur. But on further investigation by Imphal Times it is found that 4 major area of Kangpokpi district were Gram Panchayats under Imphal West ICD Block till June 28 , 2012.
According to the Manipur Gazette (Extraordinary Publication) notification dated June 29, 2012 it has been stated as – “The entries in respect of Gram Panchayats at Sl. No. 25. Koubru Leikha , 26. Toribari , 27. Kalapahar and 28. Santalabari under Imphal West –ICD Block stand deleted”.
What make the then government of Manipur of 2012 made decision to convert it into Autonomous District Council (ADC) is an open secret. But the fact is that the Reserved Area was officially notified before the villages who were reportedly arguing its legitimacy were under Gram Panchayat and the Question of getting prior approval from the HAC does not arise.
It may also be noted that, Imphal Times have official documents– Manipur Gazette (Extraordinary publication) which declared the name of the Gram Panchayats and the respective Pradhans and members. The Gazette was published on February 7, 1968. For the Kanglatombi Gram Panchayat , Ganga Singh Chhetri Nireula of Kanglatombi was the Pradhan and have 10 other members. For the Keithel Manbi Gram Panchayat , Devi Prasad Baskota of Parasol Basti was the Pradhan and have 10 members . As for the Kangpokpi Gram Panchayat , Bhumi Prasad Kha Kharal of kalapahar Bazar was the pradhan. Among the 10 members Yengkhom Bihari Singh of Kangpokpi Bazar , a Meitei was listed. That means that Kangpokpi had been a home of Meitei community in the late 60s or earlier.
