By Ruwngthung Hrangbung
CHANDEL, February 23: As goodwill mission and to collect firsthand account of the basic infrastructure existing in the area and to understand the reality of people’s lifestyle in the remote areas, president of Chandel Naga People’s Organization (CNPO), Ws Kanral Anal, along with the Sulam Area Chiefs’ Association (SASA), on February 22 took out an expedition to Sulam Area, an integral part of Chandel district, with an association of more than twenty remote villages.
The visiting team headed from the New Samtal 0 point at Chahmol Village in Tengnoupal and visited Angbrashu, Larong Khunou, Larong Khullen, Darchol, Vomku, Challong, Thumtam, Paraolon and Kotal Khuntak villages where the President interacted with the villagers.
The team had a stopped over at Angbrasu and met Official of the BRO on resurfacing and coding of the New Samtal road with tar was going on. There the President requested and instructed the official and his men at work to maintain quality of the work. The President later in his addressed to media expressed satisfaction over the work.
The villagers at Angbrashu narrated the difficulties of getting enough water for drinking and informed that villagers had to walk for 2 km to fetch water from a small stream.
At Larong khullen, The Team inspected the Primary Health Sub Centre building, Larong Govt High School building which was constructed and completed by MDS under RMSA.
Chief Of the Village Ts Kanlun Who is also the Secretary of SASA in his address to media disclosed that inspite of the PHSC building completed, the concerned authority had not inaugurated till date. The PHSC has been left with no doctors but a single nurse is there to mend the building and look after the health of the villagers.
The Chief also stated that The SMDC wanted to start functioning of the school from the current academic session but the concerned authority fail to release the amount of the already submitted bill leading to closure of the building by the contractor. In this regard, he appealed to the department to take necessary action. He also narrated on the shocking experience on the non functioning of a BSNL tower erected at his village as well as the boys hostel constructed at his village under MSDP which was left incomplete.
The team found that Larong khullen, Darchol, Vomku and Challong are enjoying a water supply Scheme under PHED Chandel division. However, frequent break and leak of the polythene pipe resulted to frustrations of the people.
The villagers in Challong greeted the team with a tale of their village posed by a threat of landslide that usually happened during the rainy season. They informed that due to sinking of the road at their village Challong, popularly known to the BRO as 0-30 km, the villagers had no option but to shift the village to a safer place for which they requested the team help them seek assistance from the govt.
The Chief of Paraolon Sk Warshing who is also the Chairman of SASA in his address to media said the village has no school building since the time the school building collapsed in the year 2013 due to a storm and he also informed that the PHSC building has been completed but left un inaugurated till date.
The team after reaching khungyon, an oldest village of the Moyon Naga tribe, found out that the villagers had suffered from acute lack of water for drinking and other household chores. The villagers had no Community Hall. The visiting team were surprised when the Chief of Khungyon briefed of the incidence of how a BSNL tower erected at the village collapsed but the concerned authority had not taken any action to restore the tower till date. The team was also informed of the Chief constructing his dwelling house from his hard earned agriculture returns but far beyond completion due to non availability of water. A shaktiman is used for carrying water from Chakpi river which is about 15 km away from his village.
Later, President of CNPO Ws Kanral while speaking to media concluded that all the 10 villages suffered from the problems of drinking water for which he felt that government must formulate a project or technology on rain water harvesting system for those village so as to reduce the problems.
He said that all villages visited today lacks basic infrastructure in form of health, education and road connectivity. Saying that the area comprising of more than 20 villages are very remote and backward, the President expressed in his speech want the govt to revive Vomku Block when he recalled to media that Vomku village was once a Block head quarter but shifted to Chandel in the sixties.
He also said that while giving material components under MN-GRES, those village in that area should be considered for higher amount saying that due to distance from the district head quarter all money are getting drained into cost of transportation.
Saying that that development of Chandel Vomku raod will facilitate good trade to enhance not only the economy of the area but the economy of the sate as well. Ws Kanral Anal said that the govt must take interest in the development of the area. He also expressed big scope in flourishing of agriculture, horticulture and development of Mithun rearing farm in the area as well.