Dimapur, August 21 (MExN): Reacting to a media statement from the Head GB and secretary of the Champang Village Council alleging corruption in oil-explorations dealings, the chairman of the council today clarified the charges. The chairman, Longshithung Kithan, stated that the two aforementioned councilors’ charges “devalues” and is “self-defamatory.”
The chairman clarified that the All Lotha Resource Management Cooperative (ALRMC) is an active body of landowners with oil-bearing wells. There is no Memorandum of Understanding between SRM and ALMRC, the chairman clarified. In fact, SRM Explorations (Pvt) Ltd. is an “employee” of the ALMRCC, he stated explaining that “which means in every way an appointed company of the Naga people.” SRM is a wing of Spice Energy “which is the youngest one in Indian oil explorations and production” the chairman explained further. According to him, SRNM has the largest oil-producing blocks in Congo, covering 2400 kilometers; it has similar segments in Indonesia and “several other countries with assets estimated to touch 15 billion USD by the turn of this year.” The Chairman said hat since they visited the village they “committed” basic facilities prior to commencement of the works and nothing has been given for individual consumption. Both the ALRMC and the village council have records of these, chairman Kithan stated.
Further, the chairman clarified that No Objection certificate and Mining Lease was issued in the month of October 2006 and the allegation that a Gypsy soft-top was ‘gifted’ for signing of the NOC and lease is “baseless.” The Gypsy was in fact purchased and given on July 25, 2007 “for the hardships faced by the villagers as there is no proper health care center in the village and also for the works of the village council” the chairman claimed. To meet all these difficulties to the ‘poor people’ the vehicle was given “in the name of village council and not an individual gift to the chairman.” Further, since the harvest for 2006 was “very bad” and the villagers were put through shortage of food, rice was distributed amongst the villagers and not as alleged to win the support of villagers, Kithan clarified. Also, on June 30, 2007, the chairman signed the Socio-Economic Study Agreement and not a Mining Lease or NOC for mining and explorations, and not as alleged. If the Head GB and the secretary of the council ‘thinks’ as “unauthorized” that a mining lease was issued by the chairman, they can read relevant acts, rules or “books” the chairman advised.
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