Phungyar demands separate district

Imphal | February  11 : In a wind of change, Phungyar Assembly Constituency (43 AC) from Ukhrul district South has raised a demand for a separate assembly constituency and has demanded it is declared as a separate district. The District Demand Committee, Phungyar constituency, has decided to exert pressure on the government and submit a memorandum to the chief minister in this regard.
The District Demand Committee (formed recently headed by MLA Wungnaoshang Keishing as convener and KV Son as the secretary of the committee) has asserted that segregation of Phungyar Assembly Constituency from Ukhrul district headquarters and declaring it as the 10th district of Manipur is the collective aspiration of the people in the four sub-divisions of Phungyar Assembly Constituency.
The four sub-divisions under Phungyar Assembly Constituency are Phunyar with the population of over 18,830 Kamjong – 16,124, Kasom Khullen – 15,991 and Sahamphung – 9,685.
In accordance with the 2001 Census report, the total population in the Assembly Constituency covering an area of 2500 sq km is around 50,000 and the total number of villages in the Constituency is 146.
Maintaining, that the decision to exert pressure on the Government to carve out Phungyar Assembly Constituency from Ukhrul and declaring it as a separate district was adopted during a joint meeting of the public leaders, social workers and village headmen of over 125 villages from the four sub-divisions attended at the Babupara official residence of MLA of Phungyar Assembly Constituency Wungnaoshing Keishing yesterday.
All those who spoke during the meeting maintained that people of Phungyar Assembly Constituency have been subjected to various difficulties, educationally, economically, financially and socially and this needs immediate and special attention from the government to be at par with the rest of the people of the state. The people of this four sub-divisions continue to depend on shifting cultivation and other available works for sustenance and the existing communication facilities are out- dated. They further contended that segregation of Phungyar Assembly Constituency that comprises four sub-divisions from Ukhrul district and declaring it as a separate district would help in bringing about infra-structural development and improve the living standard of the people.
In connection with the demand for up-gradation of Phungyar Assembly Constituency into a separate district, the local MLA Wungnaoshing Keishing pointed out that there are various inconveniences in looking after the development of Phungyar Assembly Constituency due to the fact that the geographical area of the Constituency is more than that of the combined Constituencies of Chingai and Ukhrul and roads are long, making it difficult  for complete maintenance  so only by declaring a separate district will ensure a much easier and less costly access to education, healthcare, sanitation and better means of communication and infrastructure development. Further the creation would address the social and economic issues of these areas, alleviate poverty and improve living standards.
So as of now, in the light of the prevailing circumstances it is the firm believed of the people that up-gradation of Phungyar Assembly Constituency into a separate district would help in bringing about the required development of this areas and also the neighboring areas can derive the benefits provided by the district headquarters.