‘Pvt. Company engage in corruption, fraud, force vigilante-garnering,’
Dimapur, August 18 (MExN): The long-drawn tussle over Oil exploration2s in Champang today surfaced with shocking revelations of corruption, coercion, “gift” and waylaying by private parties seeking a ‘share’ in the gas-mineral resources. A Delhi-based company, “M/S SRM Explorations (P) Ltd” is alleged to be indulging in a number of corrupt practices, including bribing even the Champang Village Council chairman and villagers.
The allegations against “M/S SRM Explorations (P) Ltd.” are that it has been engaging non-local brokers and middlemen and creating misunderstanding among the sections in concern; that it tried to forge a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the CVC to sign (but refused by the council); the council chairman was flown to Delhi and enticed with money to sign a No Objection Certificate for mining oil rights and a mining lease (unauthorized) to SRM; that the company has been bribing villagers; that the chairman was given a Maruti Gypsy as a “gift” for signing the mentioned rights.
The council has warned SRM Pvt. Ltd that its corrupt activities would not be tolerated by the Champang villagers. Assuring to resist tooth-and-nail, the council has warned SRM that any eventuality would be the company’s own liability.
A statement was received here from the Head GB and the secretary of the council Nchumbemo Kithan and Renpi Patton, respectively, where the behavior of SRM was strongly condemned. The village authority stated that SRM has been approaching the people of Champang through non-local middle men, who play a “divide and rule” policy on the residents. This has created misunderstanding between the land owners, the council noted.
Recounting several instances of the company’s tactics, the council disclosed that on April 22, 2006, SRM representatives tried to forge a MOU with the council “which was completely self-defeating in nature for the landowners.” The council refused to sign the document, the chiefs informed.
The matter did not end there. When the SRM failed to achieve their objective in the first attempt, the village chairman and a handful of the drill-site owners from the village were flown to Delhi. There, they were enticed with cash to sign a No Objection Certificate in favor of the said company for mining oil in Champang. Later on the chairman was also made to sign an unauthorized Mining Lease without the knowledge and consent of the general public of Champang, the council revealed.
Further, SRM has been bribing the ignorant villagers with intention to achieve its sinister designs of taking over the land and resources of Champang, the council informed. A white soft-top Maruti Gypsy (bearing Registration No. NL/07/6352) has been given to the chairman as a “gift” for signing the NOC and the Mining Lease. Moreover, interestingly, when the villagers started a discussion to remove the chairman from office, SRM distributed a bag of rice each to all the families in the village to garner support for the present incumbent. “Recently signature campaign has started to remove the chairman from office for which the chairman on his part has warned of dire consequence and gave two days deadline to withdraw their signatures while the said company is preparing to distribute Solar Lamps to the villagers again to garner support for the chairman” the council informed.
There was a general meeting in the village on June 30, 2007 at the request of the president of M/S Canoro Resources Limited. The request letter itself was addressed to and handed over to the chairman well ahead of time. However, instead of complying with the request for a meeting the chairman threatened the entire village citizens saying ‘whoever attends the meeting would be shot dead’ for he had arranged 40 “Naga Army contingents” to disrupt the said meeting. However, in spite of the threat the villagers gathered at the meeting venue and sought for him to conduct the meeting when it was found that he was not in the village. Accordingly, the villagers requested the Head GB to chair the meeting, the statement informed. The chairman later came to the meeting and on arrival he was requested by the members to assume chairmanship. However, he refused to oblige, the council stated.
In the course of the meeting it was unanimously decided to give a No Objection Certificate to M/S Canoro Resources Ltd. to undertake a Socioeconomic Study on Champang and another No Objection Certificate to Champang Land Owners’ Union (CLOU) empowering it to carry on its activities as per the constitution. These two documents were signed by the chairman in the presence of the whole village and there was no element of threat whatsoever under which he signed the documents, the council informed. “In fact, when one of the documents needed wider distribution, he came all the way to the Baptist Church Office, waited for retyping, and, finally appended his signature on the document.
So where is the question of signing these documents under duress and what is the basis of terming the issuance of the above documents null and void as published in The Morung Express on 03/07/07?” the council queried.
Champang’s people welcome any organization or company interested in oil and gas exploration in Champang Oil Block without any reservation and is welcome to approach the people for an open discussion to forge possible agreement that is honorable, beneficial and acceptable to the Nagas in general and land owners in particular. However, any agency interested in such venture must come through the state government and with the full knowledge of the Lotha Hoho. “The said Hoho must bear witness to all agreements relating to resumption of Hydrocarbon exploration activities that may be signed by the land owners with any party or the government, now or in the future. In this regard, complete transparency in every aspect of the Oil and Gas business dealings between the people and the prospecting agencies and between the land owners and the government must be insured” the council explained. It, however, warned that no party should, at any stage, try to cheat and exploit the landowners in any manner which shall not be tolerated at any stage.
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