Manipur airport expansion leaves 200 residents in disarray

Correspondent
IMPHAL, OCTOBER 7

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he affected residents of the two districts under Imphal West districts have continued to protest against the state government’s order to vacate their homestead for expanding the Imphal International airport.
The affected villagers of Ningombam Awang Leikai and Ningombam Awang Atom have been demanding allotment of their land for future settlement and proper survey of the standing properties for the necessary compensation.
AK Jotin Singh, an affected villager lamented that the government should provide the necessary arrangement before issuing the quit notice.
On September 27, Sub-Divisional Officer Wangoi block served a quit notice to the affected villagers in Ningombam area asking to vacate all the affected homesteads by October 6 failing which all the villagers were warned of being evicted.
Though some of the families have shifted somewhere, the poor families are still staying back at their respective houses even after the dateline to vacate the homestead, had already been expired.‘The authority can do anything at any time. But no action has been taken up from the authority side,’ lamented an affected housewife.
The government has reportedly provided a piece of land measuring a minimum of .2(around 900sq ft) to a maximum of .15(6000sq ft) to each of the affected families according to their previous land sizes at the Heibok foothill located about 500 meters east of Ningombam village, according to the affected villagers.
The villagers however expressed that Ningombam Awang Leikai and Ningombam Awang Atom with around 20 families has a population of more than 200 while the compensation and allotted land are yet to be received.
The matter has been appraised to the local MLA, RK Anand Singh who has assured that the said issue with be discussed with the state Chief Minister to address the grievances of the affected families. However till date no development has been taken place in favor of the aggrieved villagers.
The government acquired around 700 acres belonging to 220 families of Ningombam Awang Leikai for Imphal airport expansion in 2009 which affected a large number of paddy fields and homesteads of Ningombam, Kodompokpi, Meitram, Sangaiprou, Malom Tuliyaima, Malom Tulihal and Monshangei villages.