Housing Minister assures to make neglected Naga Patients' house, Dibrugarh ‘habitable’

 A signboard leads to the Naga patient’s house in Dibrugarh, Assam which for years have remains neglected and in dilapidated condition. Minister of Housing and Mechanical, Tongpang Ozukum during his recent visit assured to construct a well planned habitable house in its place. 

DIMAPUR, AUGUST 17 (MExN): Minister for Housing & Mechanical (H&M), Tongpang Ozukum paid an on-site inspection to the PWD store situated in Amguri and the lone and neglected Naga Patients house in Dibrugarh, Assam.

A press statement issued by the press secretary to the H&M Minister informed that the Minister interacted with fellow Naga residents and scholars in Dibrugrah from the state and expressed his disdain at the dilapidated condition of the state guest house, also known as Naga Patients' House. 

It may be recalled that The Morung Express on July 12, 2019 had highlighted the neglected and dilapidated condition of the guest house in Dibrugarh.

The minister during his inspection shared his concern about the plight of Nagas coming to Dibrugrah for medical care and students coming for admissions, who end up incurring more expenditure in food and lodging than in medical fees as state guest house in the upper Assam city do not have the basic amenities needed by visitors or patients.

He also stated that for many years it has been neglected and it is not only the concern of the department but the entire Nagas, who will benefit as Naga Patients' House, Dibrugarh is located at the busy Paltan Bazaar, where most of the city's medical care and educational centres are located.

"Mizoram government is also running a well furnished state guest house which is positively helping their people who come seeking for admissions and medical care; that's why we find patients and scholars from Nagaland lodging at the nearby Mizo guest house as the present Nagaland (Patients') House is not habitable," the Minister stated. 

He said the modalities for the case of encroachment of the site have been resolved legally by the department and. He assured to take up the matter as a "top priority" for a well-planned "patients' house" to be constructed at the earliest for the benefit of the people. 

The Minister also expressed his appreciation to the Naga Students' Union Dibrugrah (NSUD) and Naga Christian Fellowship Dibrugrah (NCFD) for its initiatives to save and maintain the asset since its inception in 1971.

Er. Tali Longchar, an NCFD member regarded the Minister's visit as "a red letter day for the Naga community residing in Dibrugrah since it was the first time a high official from the department has visited Nagaland guest Dibrugrah with real concern." He said that it would be "to our advantage to maintain and run such a guest house" as Dibrugrah is one of the most important commercial hubs and progressive cities in Assam, which is frequented by Naga people, especially from the neighbouring Nagaland districts like Mokokchung, Longleng and other districts in eastern Nagaland.

Earlier, the Minister inspected the Nagaland PWD store at Amguri in Sivasagar district, Assam where he interacted with the caretaker and Department officials.  The entourage included PWD (Works & Housing) Secretary, Chief Engineer (Housing), Additional Chief Engineer (Housing), Executive Engineer (Housing) of Mokokchung Division, Executive Engineer, Tuli; ADC Tuli, SDPO Tuli and Angetyongpang AC independent party workers.