Imphal, April 30: In a major development, Union Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, on Sunday said protection of forest is the sole responsibility of the state government.
Taking to reporters, Bhupender Yadav said, “Forest land always comes under the ownership of state government. The 1927 Forest Act, after independence its state subject. But after the 1976 amendment the forest land comes under state and Centre subject. But the ownership of forest always lies with the state government. To protect the reserve forest and protected forest, land comes under the sole responsibility of the state government.”
Yadav’s statement comes at the backdrop of protests in the state over govt’s eviction drives in protected and reserve forests.
As for the law and order situation in the state, no fresh incidents of violence took place on Sunday in southern Manipur’s Churachandpur district, which witnessed a series of incidents of violence including arson and vandalization of government properties since Thursday night.
According to officials, the indefinite night curfew, which was imposed by the district administration in the Churachandpur district from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Saturday, would continue until the further order.
Shops, business establishments and markets were reopened on Sunday while passenger and other vehicles plied as usual in Churachandpur town and other parts of the hilly district.
Director General of Manipur Police P. Doungel and senior officials on Saturday visited Churachandpur district and reviewed the situation.
After Thursday’s incidents of violence, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh cancelled his Friday’s visit to Churachandpur district. Biren Singh was scheduled to address a public gathering at Sadbhavna Mandap in New Lamka Town in Churachandpur on Friday and inaugurate an open gym at PT Sports complex.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) had called for an eight-hour shutdown in Churachandpur district on Friday to protest the state government’s eviction drive from the protected and reserve forests.
The hilly and forested Churachandpur district in southern Manipur, which borders Myanmar and Mizoram, is home to various Kuki-Chin militant groups.
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