Dimapur, JULY 12 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has questioned the Forest Department and Forest Minister over Hotahoti MOU, stating that “When MOU is under process, how come 700 hectares of plantation have been carried out and what about the rest of the government Forest reserved land measuring more than 500 hectares?” This was informed in a press release by R Paphino, Chairman of Media Cell, NPCC. It stated that the forest minister had threatened NPCC of a law suit but it is prepared to face anything to safe guard Naga people’s rights.
Pointing out that the Forest Ministry had denied of land encroachment by interested individuals including the forest minister and that 700 hectares had been planted with funds from the National Bamboo Mission and MOU under process to be executed between the government and the participating communities, the NPCC however affirmed that the department’s argument is contradictory to the present situation in Hotahoti.
The NPCC press note went on to state that it was not convinced as encroachers have taken most of the land for teak, nahor, pineapple, aracanut, mango, banana and paddy fields and only a part of the land is under bamboo plantation. The release also mentioned: “no government or public property is safe and secure when the concerned authority becomes the predator”. The NPCC also claimed that the forest minister has said that he had “distributed the land to his public”. The NPCC said it will not allow anyone to turn the Hotahoti reserved forest into ‘private chattels’.
