DIMAPUR, SEPT 23 (MExN): Dimapur Municipal Council member S Yangertoshi today termed as “self-motivated, fabricated and false” the allegation leveled against him by the New Market Business Owners Association. In a press briefing today, Yangertoshi said “city politics” was involved in the move which is attempting to tarnish his image and asserted, “people are the best judges.”
To prove that the DMC had not collected ‘even a single paisa’ from the business community at New Market, he invited Tapon Saha and Mustafa, prominent businessmen of the area, to elucidate their experiences on the matter. Both businessmen denied that funds had been given for the “Special Task Force” of the DMC to execute sanitation works. According to them, businessmen of the vicinity had collected money from among themselves only to provide tea and lunch to DMC workers.
On why no cleanliness work was undertaken on September 17 at ‘Murgi Patti’, Mustafa said the venture could not be carried out as labourers had taken time out for Viswakarma Puja. “The money collected from amongst us is still with us,” he said.
Asking for the support of the people in sanitizing the municipality, Yangertoshi expressed his grievance on the lack of facilities and manpower to assist him and his colleague S Vihuto Yeptho in the sanitation wing of the DMC. The municipal council owns 7 Massey tractors (one of which is said to be in a rundown condition), a JCP, a truck, a cesspool cleaner, 19 trailers “in a sorry condition” and a tipper. The DMC also employs 76 scavengers, 9 ‘Sardars’ and 13 drivers. Yangertoshi says the municipality requires at least 150 scavengers.
