Dimapur: Eastern Sumi Students’ Union (ESSU) has expressed the “sad grievances” faced by the people of Aghunato sub-division due to the transfer of SBI, Aghunato Branch to Zunheboto since April 27, 2001. In a letter addressed to the Chief General Manager, Network 11, SBI, Local Head Office, Guwahati, ESSU on behalf of the people of Aghunato sub-division, comprising 54 villages appealed for re-shifting of the bank while expressing optimism that, with it, “availability of basic life sustaining goods will be enhanced, raise level of living including higher incomes, more jobs, better education and expand the range of economics and social choices.”
The letter appended by ESSU president Vihepu Yeputhomi stated that Aghunato town is one of the oldest towns in Nagaland established in 1952 and upgraded to SDO (Civil) in 1978 and inaugurated as ADC HQ in 1991. The people of the area with total population of 30,361 are left in a miserable condition in spite of government’s various initiatives to cater to the needs of the people through banking facilities because of people's increasing unawareness of the wide scope/ benefits offered through banking. Instead, he said, people have to undertake a herculean task travelling to Zunheboto for a single transaction. “These have been one of the most adverse impacts on the socio-economic growth of the people.”
He further informed that there are several departments functioning under the administration of ADC Aghunato which provides employment to nearly three thousand people. There are more than five hundred pensioners under the sub-treasury officer, Aghunato. Every month, the letter informed, all pensioners have to undertake a usual hard task travelling and spending two/three days in Zunheboto to “encash their meagre pension” in the lone surviving and overcrowded SBI, Branch Zunheboto. Besides, it stated, “government’s flagship programmes like MGNREGA, KCC and different schemes, loans and subsidies that have been granting crores of rupees every year to the area alone had to meet lots of hardship in managing of these endowments.”
ESSU further expressed that almost 16,000 of the students of the area, studying both within and outside the state are being deprived of the core banking facilities. Also, it said, Nagaland government has officially stated that all students’ scholarships will be disbursed only through bank accounts. Parents take an arduous task to send money to their children compelling them to bank at SBI Zunheboto. Even though Nagaland Board of School Education had issued official order for High School Leaving Certificate Examination Centre at Aghunato, it has not been operational till date due to absence of safe and secure storing facility of question papers, it added.
The letter further explained that Aghunato town is strategically located at a place that has direct and smooth-surfaced access to three different districts of Nagaland namely, Zunheboto, Kiphire, and Tuensang. Many villages and towns, besides under the administration of ADC, Aghunato, are also in close vicinity to the towns and people from these places depend on Aghunato for selling their local products. Aghunato, it asserted, being a transit town has a wide scope of developing into a commercial centre for the surrounding area.
Stating that bank premises has been properly maintained constantly by the inhabitants and has been renovated brilliantly, both inside and outside surrounding and ready for use now, ESSU on behalf of the people of the area assured “unflinching support” and “highest security” for the smooth functioning of bank, its officials and the conduct of its business.
Enunciating that the people of the area have endured much suffering for a long period of time, ESSU has urged the governing authority to comprehend prudently over the longing of the people.
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