Ministerial team extends soothing touch to Ukhrul villages
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 08: Along with visiting remote parts of the State with an eye on taking up developmental works, Ministers and MLAs of the ruling SPF Government have been trying their best to bridge the chasm between the hill and the valley districts and bring the people emotionally closer.

As part of this campaign, Information Minister TN Haokip who is also in charge of PHE and Tourism and Works Minister K Ranjit jointly led a team of Ministers, MLAs and other Government officials for a inspection tour of eastern part of Ukhrul district covering places like Ngainga, Somdal and Tolloi to get a first hand experience of the problems and the difficulties being faced by the people there and to spread the message of unity and integrity.

Setting foot on the weather-beaten road of Somdal area which has not been taken care of by the Government after it was constructed by the villagers themselves, the Ministerial team interacted with the village elders and discussed various issues related to development of the area.

A Gypsy gets stuck on the road to Somdal in Ukhrul

Participating in a Rural Development Consultative meeting held at Somdal Church on October 6 with PHE, Tourism and Information Minister TN Haokip as chief guest, Works Minister K Ranjit as guest of honour and MLA of Chingai Assembly Constituency Dr Khasim Ruivah as functional president, the Ministerial team also took note of the complaints raised by the villagers.

Pointing out that the condition of the only pre-World War-II road connecting Ukhrul town with Somdal is in a bad shape today as the Government has not repaired the same even once, the villagers said travelling along the road by vehicle is so dangerous, specially during rainy season, that they prefer to take the route on foot.

One Mr Muivah, who retired from service as Head Master of Somdal High School pointed out that the functioning of the school, which is the second high school in Ukhrul, has been greatly affected as the Government has not taken note of the need for a hostel in view of the difficulty faced by the students in transport and communication.

Maintaining that failure of the Government to provide required infrastructure and post adequate teachers in places where there are sufficient students is posing threat to the existence of many schools in the remote hill areas, the retired Head Master said the Government should pay special attention to the needs of the schools in the hill areas.

Village elders coming from different parts of Somdal area also rued that inspite of the potential for development of Somdal area as a tourist spot, the Govt has done nothing in this regard.

It is because of such negligent and indifferent attitude of the Government for the last many years that the people living in remote areas of the State have started feeling like alien in their own State, the aggrieved villagers observed.

After giving a patient hearing to the grievances of the villagers, the Ministerial team assured that henceforth the State Government would do whatever is possible for the development of the remote area and dissuaded the villagers not to think of separation but to join hands and work together for development.

In his address, Works Minister K Ranjit assured that even if the required fund allocation for development of the 25 km long road from Ukhrul to Somdal could not be included in the budget for this year, the same would be ensured in next year's budget.

Local MLA Dr Khasim Ruivah pointed out that there is already an earlier plan for development of the road at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crores.

But now the condition of the road has become so deplorable that the earmarked amount would not be sufficient.

While observing that elected representatives should not lie to the people who have elected them in the first place, Minister Ranjit further assured that the State Government would provide Rs 10 crores for the development of the road from Somdal to Ukhrul by any means next year.

He also assured that necessary instruction would be given to the Additional Chief Engineers of Works Department, SE and EEs who accompanied the Ministerial team for preparing a project profile of the road construction work.

Stating that he has been touring far flung and remote areas of the State on a mission to understand the problems and difficulties of the people, the Minister took note of the numerous memoranda submitted to him and said that the developmental work would be taken up on priority basis and the development of the Ukhrul-Somdal road has been given top priority. PHE Minister TN Haokip expressed concern over absence of any water supply scheme taken up by the Government in the area apart from the one arranged by the villagers themselves in 1953 and assured that the existing one would be augmented for the time being within Christmas.

Saying that he does not like to make false promises, the PHE Minister said a composite water supply scheme would be set up for providing safe drinking water to the people of Somdal and its surrounding villages by allocating the required fund in the next budget.

Under the scheme of Safe Drinking Water to all by 2020, necessary steps for implementation of the same in Ukhrul district would be taken up from next year, he added.

As to the complaint of not taking up necessary measures to tap the potential of tourism development in Somdal area which is blessed with a cascading natural waterfall and salubrious climatic condition, the Minister explained the new concept of Public-Private Partnership in which the people themselves take up the initiative for tourism development and reap the fruits as well.

Nonetheless, the Government would see to that every possible help is extended for development of tourism in the area, he assured.

The PHE Minister said they have come to visit for inspection for taking up developmental works.

So, lets keep aside the feeling of segregation and animosity and work together for promotion of peace and unity for all round development of the State, he exhorted the gathering.

When the Ministerial team arrived at Somdal, a large number of villagers including youth and students attired in their colourful traditional costume accorded warn welcome to the visitors.

In appreciation of the gesture, the two Ministers donated money and distributed aids like petromax, volleyballs, footballs, nets, etc of all of which had been provided by the Tribal Development Department.

On its return journey, the Ministerial team visited Tolloi and interacted with the village leaders to enquire about their problems and difficulties.

During the course of the interaction, an elderly person who is said to be a contemporary of Yangmaso Sheiza and Laishram Achou and had worked and shouted 'Inqalab Zindabad' along with other leaders, rued that the condition of Tolloi has not changed even after 60 years of independence of India from British rule.

The condition of the Inspection Bungalow at Tolloi is today is as good as a cow-shed and Government employees do not attend to their duties in the offices, the elderly person lamented, adding that in the absence of any developmental work for the people, villagers have started questioning whether Tolloi is a part of Manipur or not. To this, the Works Minister assured that since the infrastructural requirements can not be taken care of all at once, the needs would be looked after one by one.

He also announced that the Inspection Bungalow at Tolloi would be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 7/8 lakhs in consultation with the Executive Engineer of Ukhrul very soon.

Reiterating that the Government has started taking up developmental work for the people living in remote areas even if it had not been able to do so in the past due to various reasons, the Works Minister called upon the people to forget and forgive the past mistakes and start working by joining hands for a bright future. As to the alleged dereliction of duty of the Government employees, the Minister noted that the employees both in the hills and the valley have not be able to discharge their duties efficiently due to pressures from various groups.

All these would pass away in time, he said, while appealing to the people for co-operation with the Government.

The Minister further appealed to all concerned not to give any sort of undue interference in the developmental activities to be taken up by the Government in the hill districts.

Instead of that, public should stay alert and recommend for maintenance of the quality of the work to be executed, he said.

Arriving at Ukhrul town the Minister team inspected the progress of the construction work of the Mini-Secretariat complex there.

While interacting and listening to the complaint lodged by leaders of various villages at Ukhrul town, the Works Minister announced that the District Hospital at Ukhrul would be renovated at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crores as against the earlier estimated amount of Rs 50 lakhs.

Mentioning about the instance of swindling huge amount of money sanctioned for construction of the Poi road, the Minister said some of the officials involved in the case have been placed under suspension and necessary steps taken up to punish them.

The construction work on the remaining parts of the road would also be resumed very soon.

On the way to Somdal, the Ministerial team had also made a brief halt at Ngainga village to interact and discuss with the villagers on the developmental works to be executed in the area.