Imphal, January 18: Even though Hongmahn (Khongbal) Tangkhul village and the surrounding villages in Senapati district and under Saikul A/C are only about 25 kms from the State capital, these villages have been long forgotten by the State administrators since 1980.Retired chief of Hongmahn (Khongbal) village, Shangreishui Zimik informed reporters visiting the village that the villagers have been enduring various hardships including non-existence of educational facilities, transport infrastructure and health facilities.

Although the village is not far from Imphal, the State Govt has been treating the village and its surrounding villages as if they were in Africa, he said.

Sometimes, the villagers cannot help asking themselves as to why the Government is so callous to the plight of the villagers, the retired chief added.

The chiefs of the nine villages in the neighbourhood of Hongmahn were also present in the meeting with the reporters.

These villages are Khamenlok, Agigang, Phumbol, Yoldenbai, Songyang, Gobayan and Mapao Keithelmanbi.

Except the WBM work undertaken in 1980 and in 1994 along the 27 km long road leading to Imphal, the road which is the lifeline of these villages has been left untended since then, noted chief of Agigang village, Paojalet.

He further remarked that because of the deplorable condition of the road, it takes about 2 hours to go to Imphal by bus from his village which is only 27 km long while it takes only 1.30 hours from Churachandpur which is about 60 km away from Imphal.

Paojalet and Shangreishui informed that one contractor, Gopal of Keibi has withdrawn his bill in the name of the renovation of the road by unloading a few truck loads of stone chips and earth.

For the nine villages, only one junior high school at Khongbal village is functioning as the place of education, that too without a Headmaster, they observed.

As the school has been left to itself since 1990, the school building is so dilapidated that it no longer looks like a school, they added.

On the health front, a hall of Khongbal village Authority Board has been serving as a Public Health Sub Centre without any doctor or nurse for the last 30 years, they stated.

As for the tap water facility, it is non-existent.

They appealed to establish a veterinary hospital in the area taking into view of the predominance of farmers in the area and deaths of livestock every year due to various animal diseases.

They informed that their last wish is to develop the only school along with its associated infrastructures and development of the Imphal-Khamenlok road.

Presidents of MSF and DESAM were also present in today's visit.

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