IMPHAL, Dec 30 : A public meeting was organized by the Waiton Loumi Lup and Waiton Women`s Welfare Association at Waiton community hall today regarding the allocation of Chingarel Loukon as an Industrial Growth Centre.
Resident villagers around the site who attended the meeting said that the take over of 215 lou pari (approx 200 acres) of the loukon would affect the lives of people living in about 20 villages as they would have no avenues for working and earning a livelihood.
Citing the "Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Bill" passed in Kerala state under which no other activities other than that related to agriculture are allowed to take place in places of cultivation, the meeting today resolved that the Chingarol Loukon cannot be used by either government agencies or private agencies or individuals for any other activity except agriculture.
The residents have taken upon themselves the task of protecting the said area and have taken a stand to take up various forms of agitations starting from January 5.
It may be mentioned that portions of land in the said area have already been taken over for constructing a firing range of the Manipur Police Training School; a forensic science laboratory and a helipad.