IMPHAL, June 21: At the backdrop of substantial initiative of the state government to upgrade police stations with up-to date infrastructure and establish new outpost in various parts of the state under the ‘police modernisation’ plan, the Nungba police station which is the oldest Police station in Tamenglong district is slowly decaying due to apathy of the authority concerned.
A survey tour was conducted by a media team under the joint initiative of the Nungba village authority, Nungba Bazaar Board and Nungba Customary court recently.
According to Alung Kamei, the newly elected secretary of the village authority disclosed that the Nungba Police station is the oldest police station in Tamenglong district and was established in 1975. The police station located at a strategic area of Nungba along the NH-53, is at the receiving end presently as all the current infrastructure is withering besides the conspicuous lack of basic facilities for the police personnel running the station.
During the survey it was found out that the police station housing 45 VDF and 33 police personnel including the SDPO, Officer in Charge, 4 SI and 2 ASI have has only one toilet.
There were no quarters for the higher rank officers in the police station including the SDPO and the OC. The barrack housing the other lower ranking personnel is worn-out with makeshift beds and a leaking roof. The walls of the station are also seen to be managed with some worn out tins, which according to the locals were damaged in an inferno some years back.
The village authority secretary further lamented that the condition of the barrack is not worth for a human being to stay.
Water is another concerned for the police personnel who fetches it from about 7km distance using a vehicle and a storage tank (portable container), added the secretary.
For mobilization of the personnel the police station has only two Gypsy vehicles one allotted to the SDPO and one to the OC. The police personnel are also allotted with only few outdated arms.
As an alternative to erratic power supply the police station is depending on five solar lamps and hand-lights.
The approached road to the police station from the National highway is about 0.6km however as the police station is situated at a top of a hillock ordinary vehicles cannot scale the hill to reach the station due to the deplorable condition of the road. The media team had to abandon their van and set on foot to reach the station.
The condition of the road is much worst in rainy season added Alung Kamei.
The joint team of social bodies of Nungba has drawn the attention of the government to look into the matter stating that Nungba is located at a strategic point along the NH-53 and the police personnel are responsible for the security of the area.