JOIN THE LCW
COMMUNITY

Exclusive monthly policy briefs, stories from the ground, quarterly analytics report, curated expert talks, merchandise and much more. Support our work!

Sign up today

Manipur Government Plans Food Park on Land Acquired for Sports University, Farmers Protest

Reported by

Thokchom Seema

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

October 16, 2016

May 17, 2022

Edited on

October 16, 2016

State

Manipur

Sector

Infrastructure

People Affected by Conflict

960

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

136

ha

Starting Year

2014

Location of Conflict

Yaithibi Khunou

Koijam, Laiching Minou, Sora, Lanthabal villages

Thoubal

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Other Kind of Infrastructure

National Sports University, food park

Land Conflict Summary

The National Sports University in Manipur was announced in 2014, and the construction stone was laid on March 16, 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But the project has been mired in controversy. To begin with, the president of the Affected Land Owners Association Against Land Acquisiton for Sports University claimed that the government had violated the provisions of Sections 47 of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Following this, in December 2014, the Manipur high court restrained construction of the university and directed both the Centre and state governments to follow and comply with legal procedures and Acts. On August 27, 2015, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh had handed over 336.93 acres of land in Yaithibi Khunou village in Manipur's Thoubal district to the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for construction of the sports university. In March 2016, the residents began protesting against the government's move to hand over their land without their consent, despite the existence of multiple pending lawsuits in the district court against land acquisition. Eventually, in October 2016, the land owners opposing the acquisition gave up their lands and signed agreement deeds with the state at INR 6 lakh per sangam (0.62 acres). However, in June 2019, the residents of Yathibi Khunou realised that the university campus had been shifted to Imphal West and that their land was going to be used for a mega food park instead. They protested by blocking the National Highway for a few hours. Immediately, police were deployed and tear gas was used against the protesters. Four women were injured and a house was damaged. The police also arrested nine persons. But the protesters were adamant. They refused to allow any project other than the university to come up on their lands and demanded their land back if the government were to proceed with a different project. The government has planned to construct a 100acre mega food park, a 150acre logistic park and a 100acre jewellers' park on this land. In December 2020, the farmers and land owners urged the state government to reconsider the location of the mega food park, since it violates the Manipur Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2014, and threatens the livelihood of the farmers. They even stated their willingness to return the compensation amount received from the government for the National Sports University. On February 7, 2021, the farmers and land owners reiterated their concerns, but no action has been taken by the government on the relocation.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand to get back acquired land

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to name the university after Haraothel and not Koutruk.

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

80

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 4-7 [These sections lay down the requirement for conducting social impact assessment and environmental impact assessment studies before the land acquisition]
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
Section 3 [This section enlists the forest rights of forest dwelling STs, including the right to hold and live on forestland, community rights of fishing, right to protect and regenerate community resources and access to biodiversity]; Section 4 [This section recognises and vests forest rights in forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes]
Manipur Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2014
Section 3 [This section prohibits the conversion or reclamation of paddy land by a landholder]; Section 9 [This section empowers the state government to exempt the application of this Act which would be required in this case]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

No items found.

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Pending

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

High Court of Manipur

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

Arrest/detention/imprisonment

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Police used tear gas shells against protestors, injuring four women and damaging a house. They also detained nine others.

Date of Violation

June 8, 2019

Location of Violation

Yaithibi Loukol

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Blockades

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Deputy Commissioner of Thoubal district, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Yaithibi Loukol Cooperative Farming Society, Affected Land Owners Association Against Land Acquisition for the Sports University

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

The National Sports University in Manipur was announced in 2014, and the construction stone was laid on March 16, 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But the project has been mired in controversy. To begin with, the president of the Affected Land Owners Association Against Land Acquisiton for Sports University claimed that the government had violated the provisions of Sections 47 of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Following this, in December 2014, the Manipur high court restrained construction of the university and directed both the Centre and state governments to follow and comply with legal procedures and Acts. On August 27, 2015, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh had handed over 336.93 acres of land in Yaithibi Khunou village in Manipur's Thoubal district to the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for construction of the sports university. In March 2016, the residents began protesting against the government's move to hand over their land without their consent, despite the existence of multiple pending lawsuits in the district court against land acquisition. Eventually, in October 2016, the land owners opposing the acquisition gave up their lands and signed agreement deeds with the state at INR 6 lakh per sangam (0.62 acres). However, in June 2019, the residents of Yathibi Khunou realised that the university campus had been shifted to Imphal West and that their land was going to be used for a mega food park instead. They protested by blocking the National Highway for a few hours. Immediately, police were deployed and tear gas was used against the protesters. Four women were injured and a house was damaged. The police also arrested nine persons. But the protesters were adamant. They refused to allow any project other than the university to come up on their lands and demanded their land back if the government were to proceed with a different project. The government has planned to construct a 100acre mega food park, a 150acre logistic park and a 100acre jewellers' park on this land. In December 2020, the farmers and land owners urged the state government to reconsider the location of the mega food park, since it violates the Manipur Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2014, and threatens the livelihood of the farmers. They even stated their willingness to return the compensation amount received from the government for the National Sports University. On February 7, 2021, the farmers and land owners reiterated their concerns, but no action has been taken by the government on the relocation.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand to get back acquired land

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to name the university after Haraothel and not Koutruk.

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

Total investment involved (in Crores):

80

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 4-7 [These sections lay down the requirement for conducting social impact assessment and environmental impact assessment studies before the land acquisition]
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
Section 3 [This section enlists the forest rights of forest dwelling STs, including the right to hold and live on forestland, community rights of fishing, right to protect and regenerate community resources and access to biodiversity]; Section 4 [This section recognises and vests forest rights in forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes]
Manipur Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2014
Section 3 [This section prohibits the conversion or reclamation of paddy land by a landholder]; Section 9 [This section empowers the state government to exempt the application of this Act which would be required in this case]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

No items found.

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Pending

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

High Court of Manipur

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

Arrest/detention/imprisonment

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Police used tear gas shells against protestors, injuring four women and damaging a house. They also detained nine others.

Date of Violation

June 8, 2019

Location of Violation

Yaithibi Loukol

Nature of Protest

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Blockades

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Deputy Commissioner of Thoubal district, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Yaithibi Loukol Cooperative Farming Society, Affected Land Owners Association Against Land Acquisition for the Sports University

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

Other Land Conflicts in Manipur

cross
Not a member yet?
Sign up now