This is in continuation to one Senior Officer, Deputy Registrar (Academic) Nagaland University whose opinion was shared requesting the Hon’ble Minister (Road & Bridges) in your daily dated 23/01/06 the urgent need and importance to have road communication within our state. The people of Mon have untold hardship which the officer has mentioned in his article. I want to thank him for highlighting the problem.
Recalling back the year 2004, a student leader from Tamlu Village has written in detail about the road between Mokokchung – Mon via Tamlu – Wakching, still there is no progress. There seems no authority for the solution. We have seen and read number of articles by Mr. Jonas Yanthan of Kohima inviting public opinion and valuable suggestions in the year 2004, most pinching words he used like “Speedy Development Without Road”. We have seen number of reports and complaints about Wokha – Merapani and Peren roads for maintenance and improvement which we should appreciate and hope the department is on the job.
The road between Mokokchung – Mon via Tamlu – Wakching falls under 3 tribes, 3 districts, 3 Hon’ble MLA’s, 3 Deputy Commissioners and 3 E.E’s of (R&B) but it seems like there is no department to look after. The most neglected part is the 49 km from Zero Point to Merangkong of NH-61. It was on 9th Jan’06 the SSA Team traveled from Kohima to Mon as there was ban in Golaghat and Sibsagar, they were surprised to see such condition of the road in our state.
Once summer starts, there will be no road due to landslides and floods. People are happy for the diversion near Dikhow Bridge which is a solution for the heavy sinking and all the credit goes to Shri. M.C Konyak (Parliamentary Secretary), I hope the work will be completed very soon. The painting of Dikhow and two bridges and the construction of one culvert near Tamlu Village has been done but the public do not know from which fund it has come from. We have heard about so many funds for roads but received nothing. The public in the area said the road seems to be nobody’s child. The Dikhow bridge is in danger due to logging of water on both sides if not repaired early.
I would like to suggest and request the DC Mokokchung, Longlen and Mon to organize social work during February – March 2006 by inviting Merangkong, Kangching, Tamlu, Bura Namsang and Kongang village to clear the jungles besides the road and remove the blockade of the culverts in their respective jurisdiction in the Naga traditional way of maintaining like the days of our forefathers as we are not lacking in manual labour and our social capital in our resources as stated by former Chief Secretary of Nagaland.
The far sighted early leaders in the state have surveyed the road in 1961-62 in the British alignment within the state between Kohima and Mon but still no proper road. Open letter to V.I.P’s and good promises may not help us in any way. Problems remain forever. Naturally the said road could be the State highway- trunk road between Kohima and Mon in our beautiful land. When is our turn to have a good motor able road which is the basic need in this fast developing state?
B. Tingshem
Bayavu Hill, Kohima
