IMPHAL, Sept 13: The grazing ground of Oinam Tangleihada Oksoi under Bishnupur District has been encroached allegedly by some individuals for their vested interest.
This was stated by Sunil Nongmaithem, secretary in-charge of Oksoi Grazing Gound in a press meet held today at the Manipur Press Club Imphal. He said the grazing ground, which is of 320 acres had been reserved as grazing ground in 1954 by the then chief commissioner of Manipur.
He further expressed that the said grazing ground is encroached by some individuals for their own benefit by installing temporary fencings. He said that the villagers while grazing their cattle, encroachers often treated them inhumanly as if the land belongs to them.
The villagers numbering more than 1000 led by senior citizens after serving notice to the encroachers destroyed the illegal farming on August 3, 2014 added the secretary in- charge.
He said that sub-inspector of Wangoi Police Station, Atom Debala telephoned the Nagar Panchayat Chairperson Oinam Kubudhi telling him to stay away from the grazing ground, adding that the Wangoi SDM has imposed 144 CrPC in the said area, and the order note is with her.
He charged that SI A Debala even used security personnel to drive away the villagers who were grazing their cattle in the grazing ground. Sunil further said that on the same day, the villager conducted a meeting to clarify the confusion in the presence of the Nagar Panchayat Chairperson.
He asserted that Nagar Panchayat Chairperson who is also holding the post of President of Oinam Tangleihada Oksoi Grazing Ground Protection Committee telephoned SI A Debala to clarify the confusion. But the SI retracted her earlier statement regarding the imposition of CrPC in the area that the imposition will be from the 20th of this month.
He further appealed to the authority concerned to give clarification regarding the confusion at the earliest time, or else agitation will follow.
At present, out of 17 encroachers, 10 have already withdrawn from the grazing ground area, he added.