The news of kidnapping in Dimapur and payment of Rs. 10,00,000/-(Ten lakh ) Rupees as ransom was not completely gone from our memory, another incidence of abduction at Kohima and demand of hefty ransom flashes over the pages of newspaper giving chill on spine to many businessmen in the state. Then comes the news of KCCI taking prompt action calling indefinite bandh in Kohima. This prompt action is appreciated by the entire business fraternity of the state inspite of which the incidence of abduction and demand of ransom turns out very ugly when the dead body of the abducted businessman is found. Then MCCI joint hand with KCCI through a declaration by press release and demands immediate action from the Government to nab the culprit (Murderer) and book under the law expecting this action may nip at the bud the very ugly culture being brought to Naga country unheard of before. Government through its minister of home gives assurance to the people of appropriate action against the perpetrators. Kudos! To KCCI exposing the menace to the Government and people. All the NGOs, Organisation and the citizens should remain vigil and be prepared not to let this kind of culture take root in the society. Government and the security agency should also do their duties and the trust entrusted upon them to protect the domicile of the state.
Turning our heads towards some positive development in Tuli, Mokokchung we can see the Hindustan Paper and Pulp factory at Tuli waking up from its deep forced slumber overhauling of entire mill is underway inspite of some disturbances here and there even to dispose off rusted steels to be replaced. State government being the laison agency should take proactive measures to ward off any kind of disturbances that the mill may have to face throughout its span of existence of course not forgetting the greater role to be played by the people of adjoining village in particular and entire state populace in general. I think we have already learnt a lesson from the Singur episode in West Bengal. Fortunate enough not to have a Mamata Banerjee in the state.
If anybody is tracking reports of burglary cases in Nagaland, finding must be alarming as it has increased leap and bound since last decade. To give you a lead in estimation in Mokokchung town itself there were 7 burglary cases in the month of April 2009 alone. The shocking thing about some of these cases is this that burglars were so daring they broke open shops amidst heightened security beefed up in the town. Over concentration on something we think is important may lead to some unpleasant incidence is the lesson everyone should, learn here. Upstair or across the road armed police personnels guard banks whole night and burglary occurs in the ground floor or across the road something at least owners could not digest.
The other day in the afternoon it was raining and I saw some students happily walking along the open drain. Why those children were walking along the drain? Rain water was gushing on the road leaving most portion of drain with little or no water. Almost all the roads in the town are in deplorable condition after so much hype of development before and during the just concluded Lok Shaba election. Hire a taxi and go to any ward from police point you will certainly have camel ride on mountain. To make the condition worse we have become over civilized to choke all big and small drains with kitchen wastes and polythene. It is high time for every one of us to realize what this monster called polythene can do besides lip service to preserve nature and Eco system.
Dogs our town for six long months every year. There are maze of water pipes criss-crossing the whole town creating never ending problems on the National high way 61 in some places, through some of the pipes water never reaches to the consumers as they are broken or mangled by constant battering of vehicular movements. As a result whenever water is supplied it flows all over the road heralding water supply day. Precious little water is wasted.
Those motias (porters) who carry water have their chins held high throughout this span of six long months almost monopolizing the rate of two tins(about 30 liters) of water. Sometimes they charge so high for two tins of water that one wonders whether the water is being supplied from the state of Bihar. Can’t help but take them for obvious reason. Here MMC may kindly fix the rate of carrying water as per distance between the source and the places of consumers.
Electricity is another aspect of our town which is noticeable as regularly irregular forcing many businessmen to loose their cool at times.
Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce and Industries appreciated the daring action of AKM to identify illegal migrants from Bangladesh and sending them back to where they came to Nagaland from. Though it looked like mockery of centre and as well as State Govt. concerned agencies, it really set an example for other places in whole country what is meant by enough is enough. But at the same time students bodies also must take extra care in not going beyond limits and in identifying the person as illegal migrant to avoid unwanted backfiring.
Further more, towards this northern part of Nagaland facing monopoly of Hills Area Truck Owners Association set up mostly by businessmen who left the Mokokchung town after the incidence of 1994, and operating from Jorhat, Assam. Transporting all kinds of goods from Jorhat and Mariani to various destinations located in this part being carried on by this so called Hills Area Truck Owner’s Association only. Other truck owners from Nagaland side hardly get any chance to penetrate this cunningly woven net like system as a result of this northern part of businessmen are at the mercy of this association. This monopoly in transportation has directly effected the price control mechanism in this part of state. Unfortunately, buyers of various goods never realize this irony of the situation and blame businessmen for dishonesty. Its time for the administration to wake up and look into the matter.
There is another monster called ‘Economic blockade’ and ‘frequent bandh’ called by various organizations in Assam. Whenever it raises its ugly head people of this part of Nagaland have to face the unnecessary hardship. Therefore to correct this malady the ongoing construction of foot hill road without touching Assam has to be expedite and completed within a time frame so that the flow of goods from Dimapur to various destinations of this part is done without interruption giving no chance to businessmen to hike prices in the market in one pretext or the other.
Now coming back to the business of Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce and Industries one can easily guess the officers running about huff-puff trying to locate business loan borrowers who seem to be avoiding them to come across. With the personal initiation of the President Mr. M. Bendangnukshi Longkumer, MCCI signed a ‘MOU’ with two branches of SBI in Mokokchung town for business loans to businessmen and through a tedious process borrowers were selected and recommended for loans batch wise starting in 2005-06. But borrowers from SBI bazaar branch seems to be forgotten all those tall promises given to MCCI and bank officials for repaying the loans. They have even forgotten the documents they have signed during the time of loan processing. Now, only option left with MCCI and the concerned bank is to recover those loans by way of deducting money from the guarantors monthly salary. This state of affair led to cancellation of MOU by MCCI with the bank and no business loans proposal is being accepted through MCCI office. Many future genuine borrowers are left deprived of this facility. Saddest thing to go through such a situation. Its high time for the local business entrepreneur of this side of the country to introspect and reassess how you manage your business and your relationship with the various financial institution if you want to prosper and be reckon with. Take our word driving a brand new car brought with loan money is not the only way.
LANUKABA, Vice President
Mokokchung Chamber of
Commerce and Industries
MR RAI, Secretary
Publicity & Information
and Industries
