Dimapur, September 9 (MExN): Various frontal organisations of the Pochury community has submitted an ultimatum to the state Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio demanding the revocation of the handing over of the National Highway-155 by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to the Nagaland Public Works Department (NPWD).
A letter addressed to the Chief Minister, which was signed by apex organisations of the Pochury Community: Pochury Public Forum, Pochury Youth Association, Pochury Students’ Union and the Pochury Mothers’ Association, said that these frontal Pochury organisations had an emergency meeting on September 4 at Meluri town, where it was observed that taking over of the NH-155 by the NPWD from the BRO would curtail the developmental activities in the area.
The Pochury frontals said that the NPWD taking over of NH-155 from BRO was a great shock to the people of Tuensang, Kiphire and Pochury area of Phek district.
“Following the taking over of the said road on 30th Aug ’07, and aftermath the areas were completely cut off from the rest of the state due to landslide, road sinking and bridges been destroyed by torrential rain,” the letter said.
“The people of the affected areas lamented over the silence and question the sincerity of the NPWD, where all the road under NPWD, were in a deplorable condition eg NPWD road from Lanyi junction to Phek Town (22 km) which is the worst district Head Quarter road in Nagaland,” the letter stated.
The Pochury frontals said that the promises of the DAN Government in its inception towards the ‘backward people’ brightened the future of these people; however, they expressed their discouragement after the taking over of the Highway by the state PWD, saying that the taking over by the state department would definitely and completely stop development of the areas. In this regard, the letter pointed out to the Chief Minister that the Pochury people await the Chief Minister’s sagacity and honour the plight of the down trodden people.
“Failing to comply with our demand by 30th September 2007, the people of Pochury will not remain a mute spectator,” the letter cautioned.
The letter also said that the Pochury frontal organisations during the meeting expressed strong resentment over the taking of the ‘NEC road from Akhegwo to Phokhungri covering 187 kms by NPWD on 31 October 1999, which cut off 2/3 of the Pochury area with the rest of the state due to non-maintenance of the said road by the NPWD’.
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