Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Imphal, December 07 2010:
The shoddy and substandard work of a contractor on the ongoing black-topping of Thungcheng village under Western Valley Ring Road of Chandel district in Manipur has made the locals worried and the All Manipur Tribal Union (AMTU) has also threatened to drag the concerned authorities to court if the matter is not looked into before Christmas.
Executive members of Thungcheng Youth Club and elders of Thungcheng village in Chandel district of Manipur intimited the AMTU that bitumen used in the ongoing black-topping of the road in the village under Western Valley Ring Road is "scarce" and that grass has started to grow on the rolled road right from the first day of completion of the work.
The AMTU said that when the matter was brought to the notice of the contractor by local villagers and club members, the contractor replied that "the black topping will mend by itself under hot sun shine" .
Taking serious exception of the dereliction of duty by the contractor, the matter has been apprised to the concerned central Public Works Department (PWD) authority and the Executive Engineer (EE) of Chandel PWD.
AMTU has interpreted the incident as "violation of stipulated norms to basic amenities for tribal regions which will be taken as discrimination" .
AMTU has advised the concerned authorities to review the work and redo silt coating before Christmas, failing which a Pubic Interest Litigation (PIL) will be filed jointly by AMTU and the villagers.