Tobu, January 27 (MExN): The Tobu and Moka public demand for district upgradation is not an ambitious demand with ulterior motives against any community or society or to tarnish the image of State Government’s motto of “Unity” in any manner, the Tobu District Demand Committee (TDDC) stated today.
The TDDC statement came in the backdrop of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio reported statement on January 26 that “there are other demands for creation of new districts, but the State Government would not like to divide single tribe districts in keeping with the Government's motto of unity.”
This a demand based on genuine needs of Tobu and Moka which can be fulfilled only if the present ADC Tobu is upgraded to that of District Headquarter (Hq), the TDDC stated in a press release.
Making the case for the upgradation, the TDDC informed that Tobu Hq is the oldest administrative Sub-division in the Mon established in the year 1954 as the APO which was later upgraded to ADC Hq on July 13, 1990. It is the only sub-division with Sub-divisional Development and Planning Board (SDPDB) in Mon District.
The sub-division shares a stretch of around 30 kms of International border line with Myanmar where International Border pillar 147, 148 & 149 are located and majority of the villages are located as far as 190 kms from the present District Hq Mon, it said.
This is causing administrative inconvenience, infrastructural and staffing gaps, lack of service delivery system, gaps in medical emergencies and poor economic and other developmental deficiencies, the TDDC pointed out in the release issued by its Secretary, Sangti Konyak.
The committee further maintained that as early as 1987, the Government of Nagaland has posted a Deputy Commissioner Tobu with a view to fill the gaps.
Considering the public grievances, the Civil Society Organisation under the Tobu made the proposal to the State Government for upgradation of Tobu ADC Hq into a full-fledged District Hq in 2006, it said.
Subsequently in 2007, the proposal of the TDDC was the only demand for upgradation under Mon district that was included in the notification issued under Home Department, GAB-1 in the “list of Demands for creation/up gradation and changes in Administrative Head Quarters,” the TDDC added.
As per the committee, the proposal for Tobu District was made in consultation with the Konyak Union, Mon, and considering the need, the latter had also written a letter to Chief Minister on October 15, 2021.
As such the question of division among the Konyak does not arise, it asserted.
In this connection, with all the relevant documents and profile of Tobu District demand endorsed with signature of village councils and other stakeholders being submitted to the State Government, the Tobu and Moka public expressed hope that the “decade old aspiration and prayer will soon be achieved.”
While reaffirming its stand, the TDCC also appreciated the Konyak legislators, Konyak Union (Mon), Konyak Students’ Union, KNSK Mon, Mon District GB’s Association, KVCU Mon, KBBB Mon for their support and cooperation towards its demand.
