KOHIMA, OCT 18 (MExN): Undaunted by failure of Rs 30 Lakhs Model Village project at Sathazu launched two years back under the Operation Sabhavna, the army 3 corps today laid a foundation stone for another similar Rs 60 lakhs project at Yoruba village of Phek district.
The foundation stone was laid jointly by the Rita Dadwal, President, Spear AWWA and lady wife of Lt Gen. MS Dadwal, GOC 3 Corps and Nobilu Nyekha, President, Yoruba Women Council and wife of State Home Minister, Thenucho in a grand function organized by the villagers and the Assam Rifles with Lt. Gen. MS Dadwal as chief guest.
The multi-lakh project would entail all state of art infrastructures like centre for human resource development, such as community hall, television with DTH and DVD supplemented library, vocational training centre for carpentry, welding, food processing, weaving and knitting.
The Model Village project would also include construction of seven kilometer Yoruba-Ighanumi agri-link road. Significantly, the army would also embark on harnessing the village’s scenic beauty for tourism purposes along with the construction of guest-and-model-house to showcase the village.
Besides, the village would also have basic amenities like Solar Home Lighting System, Women Society Office building co-located with model house for counseling and addressing various women related problems in the village, improvement of habitat through construction of water purification plant with centralized public drinking facility, state of art solar powered dusk to dawn street lights with automatic operation system in selected places and renovation of school building with multi-utility hall.
Another important element of the model village would be multi sport complex, which would house football ground, volleyball court and a badminton court. The local youths would also be provided with sports gear and facilities to practice martial arts, boxing and pursue other games and sports.
However, the actual implementation works would start only by first week of November this year, said Brig DS Kadian, Chief Engineer, 3 corps.
Earlier, Lt. Gen. Dadwal addressed the function, while Brig. DS Kadian, Chief
Engineer gave the project reports. Hordes of army and Assam Rifles officials including Maj. Gen. KS Sethi, IGAR (N) and Col. SK Jha, Commandant, 17th AR joint the villagers in the celebration. The function was also marked by culture songs and dances from the villagers, performance by 4 NAP band and Assam Rifles pipe band.
Meanwhile, even the before project kicked off, some of the top ranking officials, both in the army and Assam Rifles, have started expressing apprehension over the sustainability of the project, which is believed to be one of the first Mega project ever undertaken by the army, under the Operation Sabhavna or more popularly Military Civic Action Programme in the state. They said that the Model Village would survive only when there is active participation and care of Yoruba villagers.
Some army officials also said that Rs 30 Lakhs Model Village project, which was initiated two years back under the same programme failed because of the non-participation and negligence of the villagers.
