Morung Express News
Kohima | February 22
Following the lifting of the month-long bandh in Nagaland, offices that were burnt down on February 2 are struggling to relocate and resume work. Almost 21 offices were burnt (the loss incurred yet to be totally assessed) on February 2 when angry protestors set the offices on fire after the killing of two Naga youth in Dimapur and failure of the Chief Minister to step down.
The Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) which has incurred a loss of 3.80 crores of its assets will be relocating its office at the old Arts College near Union Baptist Church. “We are yet to relocate our office, but hopefully by tomorrow, we will be finalizing,” informed KMC Administrator Kovi Meyase.
Transport Commissioner, Elias T. Lotha informed that the prices of the equipments such as pollution check equipments provided by the Ministry are unknown, therefore the office is still in the process of assessing the properties and assets destroyed in the fire, including the staff welfare fund that amounts to 2 to 3 lakhs. The office will be temporarily set up at the NSF & NPMHR Solidarity park building.
“Most of the offices are struggling to relocate. It was an unfortunate incident. Many of the important official documents were burnt,” informed an SIB District official.
The Disaster Management Cell (State Emergency Operation Centre) provided a rough estimation of about 4.8 crores of equipments that was destroyed in the fire which included sophisticated equipments such as underwater camera, life-detectors each worth more than 46 lakhs.
Johnny Ruangmei, OSD informed that the office of the State Emergency Operation Centre will be temporarily set up near DC office and office work will resume by February 23.
The February 2 fire incident also destroyed non-governmental organizations like Kohima Press Club (KPC) office. The office of KPC which was set up last year was razed down during the mob violence, and members could only retrieve important documents on the day of the incident, and a wall clock which was recovered from burglars who were caught stealing items from the burning offices.
KPC President Xavier Rutsa informed that the Club has not relocated its office as the search for a new office is underway.
