Imphal, September 19: Even as the Highway Development Council has announced its plans to tour NH-53 from September 21 and mobilise the village chiefs and villagers living along the route to develop the highway, the Zeliangrong Youth Front, (Assam, Manipur and Nagaland) has urged the village elders, headmen/chiefs to abstain from enrolling themselves as members or office bearers of any organisation/associations floated under the name of developing the highway.

In a statement, the Highway Development Council said that as per the decision taken on September 11, a meeting was held today wherein it was decided that a team comprising of representatives from different social organisations will tour the highway and see the development work being taken up there.

The team will inspect the infrastructure such as the retaining wall, side drain, culvert etc and present a picture to the Government on their return.

Discussions to develop the highway will be held with the village chiefs of villages lying along the highway as well as with civil societies of the area.

All willing persons who have submitted their names for the tour have been informed to gather in front of Hotel Excellency at 7 am of September 21 and to bring with them blankets, mosquito nets, plates etc.

On the other hand, the Zeliangrong Youth Front has issued a statement stating that it has been the demand of the people to develop NH-53 for long.

The main factor hampering the development of the route was the frequent interference from armed groups operating along the highway, said the statement and added that two bull dozers and a JCB were burnt down as the BRTF refused to cough up Rs 2 crores demanded by the armed groups.

Engineers and staff of BRTF were also kidnapped often.All this while, the people who are shouting for the development of NH-53 now were nowhere in sight, charged the ZYF and said that the people will extend their cooperation to the BRTF and the Govt to carry out the pending work.

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