Seeks immediate redressal of Challenges facing the range due to COVID-19 lockdown
Chuchuyimlang, April 12 (MExN): The Langpankong Tzükong Mundang (LTM), stating that citizens of the range living near the Assam border are “facing untold hardship in combating the COVID 19 pandemic,” and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner Mokochung seeking “immediate address to some pertinent issues.”
The issues were the ground realities the LTM observed while visiting the spot physically on April 8, stated the apex social organisation of the Langpankong range in the memorandum, appended by its President Zulu Ozukum and General Secretary, Lanu Pongen.
Among others, one of the penitent issues LTM highlighted for quick redressal was delivery of “immediate monetary and essential commodities aid.”
90% of the population in these areas is daily bread earners and since the day one of the lockdown, they have not received “any grand-in-aid from any source except in papers and media,” the memorandum alleged, adding they are on “the verge starvation and revolutions against the lock down.”
The LTM, in the memorandum, also called for immediately setting up a “permanent Police Check Gate at Kangtsung (Nagaland) and Atkel (Assam) border, invoking the Epidemic Act 1897.
“While appreciating the District Administration and Police for effectively monitoring of Watiyongpang Nagaland- Assam border check gate, we also cannot deny the ground reality that the porous border we share with Assam is about 10 KM with Wameken Yimsen, Kangtsung Yimsen, Anaki Yimsen and Anaki (C) villages on the stretch which is just a miles away from Assam,” LTM maintained.
As such, we would like to strongly urge upon the District Administration to give equal importance to those areas and immediately establish a permanent Police Check Gate invoking the Epidemic Act 1897, it added.
The LTM also called for increasing police patrol round the clock. While the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Tuli has promulgated Section 144 of CRPC within two kilometers in the border area and is in force till date, due to shortage of enough police force on duty, the vast area cannot be covered, the LTM informed.
“Hence the Peddlers and the trespasser are taking advantage of the situation as there is enough bypass roads in the belt,” it said.
Meanwhile, the LTM said that the range has two Community Health Centre (CHC), two PHC, and number of Sub Primary Health Centers.
However, the facilities and equipments that are in place are not satisfactory and the LTM fears that the available equipments cannot protect the people and safe life from this Novel Corona virus pandemic, it noted.
In this connection, drawing the attention of the concern authority to the ‘urgent matter,’ the LTM called for installation of necessary equipments and machineries like Ventilators, Oxygen, PPE Kit, and necessary material to combat the pandemic.
The doctors and nurses, the medical staff in the CHC, PHC and Sub-Centers, the police personnel and the volunteers in the check gates should be equipped with up-to-date tested Personal Protection Kit and mask urgently, the LTM further stated.
The LTM also highlighted that the Langpangkong is the biggest and most populated range in the district and also serves other district in providing essential commodities and other logistic support.
“As such, it is imperative that we need to have bulk of stock of essential commodities before late as we never know what the situation may arise,” it added
It further called for sanitisation of driver, the handyman and the goods laden vehicle at all cost while delivering goods to the district.
“It is therefore necessary to construct a Sanitisation Station immediately in the Watiyongpang Check gate for the safety of the people,”LTM stressed.
In this connection, the LTM urged the Deputy Commissioner to take note of the grievances and take “necessary action on war footing.”
