IMPHAL, Aug 14: Mapithel Dam Affected Chingtam Organisation has threatened to disrupt the inauguration function of Mapithel dam if the Government does not invite them for talks on their demands within August 25.
Organisation chairman Ramthar Shaiza told reporters at Manipur Press Club that the State Government has not compensated the villagers of six affected villages properly.
He said that they have been provided only Rs 25,000 per household as compensation although in some villages compensation per household reached up to Rs 25 lakh.
Saying that vast tracts of land of these six villages had also been submerged due to blocking of water by the dam, Ramthar said that the Government has been however maintaining silence despite the villagers’ constant demand for fair and equal compensation.
He said that they have consulted different civil society organisations to launch intense agitations and disrupt inauguration of the dam if they are not invited for talks within August 25.
Ramthar said that the Government must consider providing special economic and physical rehabilitations to the affected villagers before the dam is inaugurated.
Organisation secretary T Somorjit said that sand quarry and fishing were the main sources of livelihood for the villagers before the dam was constructed there.
As such, they are facing lots of hardship as they do not have any alternative work now, he said.
Saying that the Government has promised to the public to provide drinking water, generate power, enhance irrigation and develop the area as a tourism destination with the commissioning of the dam, Somorjit said that the Government has however turned a blind eye to the hardships of the affected villagers.
The Government has also not responded to the demand for ensuring free power supply to the affected villagers even after staging different forms of stir like sit-in-protests and rallies.
