Imphal, August 29, 2012: The Committee on the Protection of Natural Resources in Manipur (CPNRM) has said that the three public hearings organized by the Manipur Pollution Control Board, government of Manipur at Jiribam, Parbung and Nungba Town on July 30, August 8 and 17, 2012 respectively for petroleum exploration, drilling and allied activities in Jiribam, Churachandpur and Tamenglong have been complete failures as the indigenous communities to be affected by Petroleum Exploration in Manipur have expressed strong objections to exploration and drilling by Jubiliant Oil and Gas Private Limited, (JOGPL) a company based in Netherlands.
A statement of the committee further said that it condemns the efforts of the government of Manipur and its police department for filing the First Information Report against communities objecting Petroleum exploration at Nungba on August 17.
There are serious violations and immense points of condemnations in inviting communities for environmental Public Hearing and later threatening them with arbitrary arrest and detention for expressing their rightful opinions, it said.
It has also called upon the central, state governments and the Jubiliant Energy to stop all Oil and Gas Exploration, Drilling and allied activities in Tamenglong, Churachandpur, Jiribam in Manipur and also to immediately withdraw the FIR and other cases lodged against communities attending the Nungba Public Hearing on August 17, 2012, failing which will invite stern mass communities actions from all communities for which the government of Manipur and India will be solely held responsible for any untoward incidents.
Source: Imphal Free Press
A statement of the committee further said that it condemns the efforts of the government of Manipur and its police department for filing the First Information Report against communities objecting Petroleum exploration at Nungba on August 17.
There are serious violations and immense points of condemnations in inviting communities for environmental Public Hearing and later threatening them with arbitrary arrest and detention for expressing their rightful opinions, it said.
It has also called upon the central, state governments and the Jubiliant Energy to stop all Oil and Gas Exploration, Drilling and allied activities in Tamenglong, Churachandpur, Jiribam in Manipur and also to immediately withdraw the FIR and other cases lodged against communities attending the Nungba Public Hearing on August 17, 2012, failing which will invite stern mass communities actions from all communities for which the government of Manipur and India will be solely held responsible for any untoward incidents.
Source: Imphal Free Press
