Newmai News Network Imphal | March 12 The Joint Action Committee against Forced Inauguration of Mapithel Dam (JAC-AFIMD) has called for 48-hour bandh in the State of Manipur from the midnight of March 14 as the State government has "failed to uphold the Constitution in the State of Manipur". Educational institutions, medical, water-supply, electricity, media have been exempted from the purview of the bandh. In a statement, JAC secretary, Letsei Mate, asserted that the attempt of the state to inaugurate the dam without following due process of law is against the law of the land. "Thereby, in protest against such act of the government, the JAC has called for the 48 hour bandh so as to extend the constitution in the state of Manipur and any untoward incident during such hours will be at their own risk", the JAC-AFIMD stated. The JAC in its statement informed that it had submitted a joint memorandum to the Prime Minister of India through the Governor of Manipur on February 28, 2018, also to Chief Minister of Manipur on same day and to Governor of Manipur on March 1, 2018 not to commission the Mapithel Dam till the demands are fulfilled, "and the affected land owner must be compensated adequately in concurrence with right to fair compensation and transparency in land acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013." According to the JAC, the National Green Tribunal Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata in its judgment order on December 7, 2017 clearly stated that the state government has violated the statutory requirement provided under FRA 2016. As such, direction has been given to the state government to comply with the provisions of the said FRA within three months. "However, the state government has failed to comply with said order till date," the JAC maintained.
