Dimapur, May 30 (MExN): The occupant of the government quarter in Chandmari in Kohima today reacted to media reports that the Kohima administration had demolished the building she was occupying on grounds of it being illegal and encroached.
That she is neither the proprietor nor the one building the illegal construction, the PWD employee, Zakivole, today issued a statement that apparently pointed to administrative lapses. It was also informed that she is not the one constructing the building but by another person who is said to be “the landowner.”
In fact, enclosed with her statement were a good number of government and departmental orders corroborating her to be only a lawful government tenant and nothing more. As the statement pointed out, there apparently were also some ‘confusion’ and error of decision in the slew of orders issued by the administration and department.
Kohima administration and police had yesterday demolished a building in Chandmari alleging encroachment and illegal construction over a garage attached to a government quarter.
The occupant, Zakivole, an LDA in the PWD, expressed hurt that her name was demonized when she was neither the ‘proprietor’ of the alleged illegal construction or the one building it. The illegal construction is being erected by another person who is claimed to be the “landowner” of the plot. She said in her statement that the allegations against her are a ‘barefaced lie’ and probably an attempt to malign her to cover up an error of decision on the part of the Kohima district administration.
Zakivole said to be true her occupying the quarter where close to it is a building being constructed. She was “judiciously evicted” by the administration on April 28, 2009. The quarter was ordered as allotted to her June 21, 2007 and by the 22nd she occupied it. The quarter in question was previously rent out temporarily to the Law & Justice department by the PWD (Housing) for the past few years. This was affirmed, confirmed and verified on June 7, 2007 itself in a letter to the estate officer of the PWD (Housing) by the SDO of the department.
Then another order less than two months later was issued canceling the allotment on August 20, 2007, and stated to be on a temporary basis. The same order was withdrawn on June 8, 2008. The order stated to facilitate “settlement of the matter of ownership…with detailed status of aforesaid building right from its inception…” On August 20, 2007, interestingly, the executive engineer of PWD (Housing) ‘jointly allotted’ a type-V quarter. However, the quarter was already privatized and occupied by private persons.
In the course of the confusion, three issues were again issued on January 17, 2007, on May 6, 2008 and again on March 19, 2009 respectively by the Kohima district administration asking Zakivole to vacate the said quarter as it was already allotted to ADC (J) of Kohima. In response to these notices, both written and verbal communications were made on the ‘ground reality’ and difficulties.
It was revealed here that on the morning of April 28, 2009 officials of the Kohima administration along with armed police personnel locked the quarter when only Zakivole’s minor brother was at home. Till that time, she was duly paying her rent. The quarter was sealed even without letting her get her purse, money or even spare clothes leave alone other things, Zakivole said. “It won’t be a surprise if valuable items including money have been lost or taken away by the officials involved and many household items damaged; till date, this has been in the same state of conditions,” she said.
Following what she mourned to be the partisan, inhumane and inconsiderate act of the Kohima administration, Zakivole said she and her wards have been suffering immeasurably. It was informed that she does not even have spare apparels and essentials, leave alone a home.
Interestingly, on May 27 few days before the demolition, a request was made to the deputy commissioner of Kohima affirming Zakivole to be lawfully occupying the quarter as allotted to her officially and that “she is not a criminal.” Her final request would go unheeded till the demolition of the quarter on May 29, she was occupying.
