Manipur
,
Khaidem
,
Imphal West
Published :
May 2017
|
Updated :
Residents of Manipur Village Oppose Oil Exploration, Reject NOCs Obtained through Bribe
Reported by
Atom Samarendra Singh
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
598
Households affected
People affected
2017
Year started
Land area affected
598
Households affected
People Affected
2017
Year started
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Industry
Reason/Cause of conflict
Petroleum and Gas
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
Sector
Industry
Reason/Cause of conflict
Petroleum and Gas
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
1
Summary

The Government of India granted licence to a Netherlands-based company called Jubiliant Oil and Gas Private Limited (JOGPL) to explore and drill two oil blocks in some districts in Manipur under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Khaidem Awang Leikai was one of the districts. Earlier, in 2003 and 2009, the government had undertaken a series of promotions globally in major cities like London and Perth to attract bids to oil companies. Subsequently, in 2010, the production sharing contract for both the oil blocks was signed by the government and the petroleum exploration licences were granted. JOGPL was set to drill oil from 30 oil wells identified by Alpha Geo Company, which was conducting seismic studies for JOGPL. To this end, Asian Oil Fields (AOF) Limited and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas signed a contract to test the presence of oil in the region.
In May 2017, AOF, under the petroleum ministry's Oil India Limited, initiated testing for the presence of oil in Khaidem village in Imphal West, using explosives. This was when the issue surfaced: the locals' had been in the dark all through the years and were just learning about the project. Immediately, they gathered near the survey site and banned all oil exploration work in the area. They demanded the company to stop the work and provide all details of the project, such as the Detailed Project Report, the Environmental Impact Assessment, the Social Impact Assessment, the Environment Management Plan and all agreements made among the Government of India, Government of Manipur and the companies.
On May 18, 2017, a community meet regarding the issue was held, and several local communities and organisations participated in it, condemning the oil exploration surveys and the lack of procedural go-aheads. Feeling disrespected, the locals rejected the No Objection Certificates obtained by bribing local leaders without following official procedures. The residents feared that the oil exploration and drilling would pollute their land and the environment. They have asserted that oil exploration cannot happen without their consent.
It is not clear how much land will be affected because the survey work for the presence of oil could not be completed. There has been no land acquisition so far.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Opposition against environmental degradation

Refusal to give up land for the project

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Both

Forest and Non-Forest

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):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Government of Manipur, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Manipur State Level Convention on Oil Exploration team

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Oil India Limited

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

No

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Jubiliant Oil and Gas Private Limited, Asian Oil fields, Alpha Geo Company

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

No

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Khaidem Golden Youth Club, Local residents

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
Atom Samarendra Singh
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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Opposition against environmental degradation

Refusal to give up land for the project

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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