Manipur
,
Marangching
,
Tamenglong
Published :
Sep 2016
|
Updated :
Manipur Village Threatens to Stop Tallest Railway Project if not Compensated Fairly
Reported by
Thokchom Seema
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
1680
People affected
2015
Year started
1748
Land area affected
Households affected
1680
People Affected
2015
Year started
1748
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Infrastructure
Reason/Cause of conflict
Railways
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
Sector
Infrastructure
Reason/Cause of conflict
Railways
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
1
Summary

Northeast Frontier Railways is constructing the world's tallest bridge pier in Manipur's Marangching village. A part of the 111kilometre JiribamImphal railway project, the bridge is set to be constructed at a pier height of 141 metres. The project completion is likely to be in March 2022, at a cost of INR 280 crore. In July 2016, the residents of Marangching halted construction in all work sites, calling foul on compensation. Earlier, they had served an ultimatum to the state government, demanding it to intervene for complete payment of land compensation and to use data collected in the land survey. When Tamenglong District Collector Armstrong Pame failed to pay heed to their demands, they blocked the construction site. The residents also claimed that the project severely affected the area's ecosystem and subsequently the villagers, with almost 90 per cent of cultivable land in the area either submerged or directly affected by the project. On that account, they demanded that the state government compensate them under the LARR Act of 2013. The conflict started when the notifications issued by Pame for land acquisition failed to reach the public, and the land survey began without their knowledge. Two persons from Marangching had declared ownership over the land being acquired, and the survey authorities had accepted the claim without checking its legality. Infuriated, the residents demanded a resurvey earliest by December 2015 and latest by January 3, 2016. When the authorities failed to comply, the people imposed a general strike to stop all construction activity. In July 2016, the secretary of the Joint Action Committee of Marangching warned that construction work would not be allowed to take off if the authorities failed to settle the issue. On February 16, 2018, the villagers announced a "ban" on construction work, claiming that the INR 36 crore compensation amount had been siphoned off to pay the two residents who claimed ownership over the land. The project was interrupted for a whole month that year. In August 2019, Pame was transferred despite numerous court cases pending against him, including the issuance of a prosecution sanction in connection with the fraud. The villagers threatened to launch different forms of agitation if Pame was not brought back and rightfully questioned. The same year, he returned to office in Tamenglong, but the residents have still not been compensated. Meanwhile, the companies involved in the construction have been facing losses since April 2016. The officials and labourers have not openly defied the villagers, since they are from outside Manipur, keeping in mind previous instances of mob violence.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Opposition against environmental degradation

Demand for compensation

Complaint against procedural violations

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

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?

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):

280

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

District Administration of Tamenglong, Ministry of Railways, Northeast Frontier Railways

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Brahmaputra Infrastructure Limited

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

No

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

SENBO Engineering Limited, Coastal Project Limited, Bharatiya Infra Projects Limited

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Northeast Frontier Railway, JAC of Marangching

5
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?

Legal Supporting Documents

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Author
Reported by
Thokchom Seema
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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Opposition against environmental degradation

Demand for compensation

Complaint against procedural violations

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

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?

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

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