From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: The Dorbar Shnong of Nongummer and Nongpuinskei have objected to the recent Govt’s decision to convert the areas under Nongummer and Phuiskei to a reserve forest.
Both the village councils have claimed to be unaware of the announcement and said that they knew about the decision of conversion only through the newspapers.
Accordingly, a Dorbar meeting of both the areas concerned was held on Wednesday.
In the meeting it was decided that they would object to the Govt’s decision of converting their lands to reserve forests on the ground that they were ignorant about the procedures and benefits or losses that the conversion would cause.
They also decided that they would allow the Govt to come and explain the pros and cons of the conversion and to clear the doubts that hovered above the villagers of the area.
The Headman of Nongummer, A K Bani said that the land in these areas were mostly privately owned and conversion without the people’s consent could have serious repercussions.
He also informed that the people of the area mostly practiced agriculture and that most of their lands were agricultural fields. He added that the conversion would bring about huge losses to the local populace.
He thus urged upon the Govt to consider their situation but nonetheless he also invited the Govt for talks into the matter whereby they could settle the matter amicably.