Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Imphal, November 16 2009:
Irked by the cold treatment of the government of Manipur towards the National Highway-39, the only lifeline of Manipur, the Senapati District Students Association (SDSA) draws the attention of Manipur Raj Bhavan on Monday.
Frustrated over the failure from the state government side to materialise its numerous committments and assurances to the Senpati District Stuidents' Association (SDSA) regarding the improvement of the deplorable condition of the Naional Highway-39, the students' body has taken the matter to the Governor of Manipur on Monday.
While highlighting the matter to Governor Gurbachan Jagat in a memorandum submitted through the Senapati deputy commissioner today, the SDSA demanded to urgently begin the repairing work or give explanation by the state government as to why it refuses to take up repairing work along the NH-39 inspite of the repeated requests by the Senapati students' body.
The SDSA then asks the state government to immediately hand over the NH-39 to the Border Road Organisation (BRO) as the state government has failed to look after the highway which is the only life-line of Manipur.
The SDSA president A.Pfokrehrii Khrashi warns to take up sternest forms of democratic agitation should the state government fail to fulfill the demands at the earliest period.
In the missive to the Governor, the Senapati students' organisation recalled the events where the ministers and even Union home secretary G.K Pillai had given assurances to develop the NH-39 .
Making its point more precise, the SDSA said that while an economic blockade imposed by the students' body was going on demanding the improvement of the highway, the state government represented by Works minister K.Ranjit, Tribal Development minister DD Thaisii and local MLAs had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on November 24 last year in this regard but till now the government fails to implement the agreement.
On another occasion the visiting Union Home secretary G.K Pillai assured the agitating students' body in the middle of this year that funds for the repairing work of the highway will be santioned within two weeks but even after the lapsed of four months nothing concrete has comeforth, pointed out the SDSA memorandum.
Meanwhile, expressing its dismay over the lethargic attitude of the government of Manipur on the only life-line of Manipur, the Senapati district students' body narrated that for years the SDSA has been appealing the state government through numerous memoranda and also through the media but the government continues to remain cold hearted to address this genuine problem of the state.