following strong protests, the Manipur government's ambitious plan to move its legislative assembly hall, secretariat, 60 legislator quarters, high court and the People Forum to a new site has been stalled. The Capital Project-Manipur's master plan is being reworked. The relocation sites comprised the Kairang Khong wetland in the sacred Cheiraoching hill and parts of Thangmeiband and Chingmeirong villages in Imphal district. q

The Rs 300 crore project, launched in November 2004, did not have environmental clearance from the Union ministry of environment and forests (moef). It is alleged that the Kairang Khong wetland was filled and destroyed without the mandatory public hearing. The Detailed Project Report, which had to be sent to moef, has also not been prepared yet, claims the Citizen's Concern for Dams and Development (ccdd), a non-governmental organisation. ccdd says as awareness about the project's shortcomings grew, the Manipur Pollution Control Board (mpcb) prepared a rapid environmental impact assessment (eia) report in almost a month; the preparation period should be minimum one year as per rules. Besides, the eia doesn't clarify why the present location was inadequate and why the new site was selected, says ccdd 's Ramananda Wangkheirakpam.

The controversy spiralled as the government gave eviction notices to the residents of Tharon village, on the Cheiraoching hill. On April 20, 2005, the state cabinet decided to evict the residents of Lei Ingkhol village, on the hill's other side. It also proposed a new plan to break the project into smaller parts, making it spread over other areas too. While local people allege this is a strategy to avoid legal obligations, government officials say it aims to curb evictions. Although the new locations haven't been made public, sources say Mantripukhri, Khasland and parts of nh -39 are being considered. following strong protests, the Manipur government's ambitious plan to move its legislative assembly hall, secretariat, 60 legislator quarters, high court and the People Forum to a new site has been stalled. The Capital Project-Manipur's master plan is being reworked. The relocation sites comprised the Kairang Khong wetland in the sacred Cheiraoching hill and parts of Thangmeiband and Chingmeirong villages in Imphal district. q

The Rs 300 crore project, launched in November 2004, did not have environmental clearance from the Union ministry of environment and forests (moef). It is alleged that the Kairang Khong wetland was filled and destroyed without the mandatory public hearing. The Detailed Project Report, which had to be sent to moef, has also not been prepared yet, claims the Citizen's Concern for Dams and Development (ccdd), a non-governmental organisation. ccdd says as awareness about the project's shortcomings grew, the Manipur Pollution Control Board (mpcb) prepared a rapid environmental impact assessment (eia) report in almost a month; the preparation period should be minimum one year as per rules. Besides, the eia doesn't clarify why the present location was inadequate and why the new site was selected, says ccdd 's Ramananda Wangkheirakpam.

The controversy spiralled as the government gave eviction notices to the residents of Tharon village, on the Cheiraoching hill. On April 20, 2005, the state cabinet decided to evict the residents of Lei Ingkhol village, on the hill's other side. It also proposed a new plan to break the project into smaller parts, making it spread over other areas too. While local people allege this is a strategy to avoid legal obligations, government officials say it aims to curb evictions. Although the new locations haven't been made public, sources say Mantripukhri, Khasland and parts of nh -39 are being considered.