A bird-eye view of Chuchuyimpang village under Mokokchung district. This village has started taking the initiative of widening the roads inside the village up to 31 feet in wide as part of its VDB developmental activities. (Morung Photo)
Chuchuyimpang, February 16 (MExN): Located hardly five kilometers away from Mokokchung town, the villagers of Chuchuyimpang has taken on a ground-breaking task of developing the village – wider roads. However, wider roads for the Chuchuyimpang villagers do not mean a two lane-road in the village but a whopping thirty-one feet wide road, in other words, a four lane road. The task has been started under the active initiative of the Village Development Board (VDB) under the full support of the Village Council Chuchuyimpang, and almost sixty percent of the works is completed.
One interesting fact about the widening of the village at Chuchuyimpang is worth taking into account– there is no issue of land dispute or claims of land compensation. Residents of the village willingly pushed their houses and fences back land so that the road can be widened. The roads were actually fifteen feet wide, however the Village Council Chuchuyimpang through a resolution at a meeting resolved to add four feet of land on each side of the road. The completed streets would measure 31 feet, said Chuchuyimpang VC Chairman, Temsumoa Imsong.
“We really appreciate the Chuchuyimpang villagers for wholeheartedly cooperating with the Village Council and the VDB in this road widening works. In a time when people are not will to even part with an inch of land, the villagers are willingly pushing back their houses and fence walls so that the roads can be widened,” said the CVC Chairman, “There is no complaints from any quarters and there is no claim for land compensation since this initiative is meant for the benefit of the whole villagers, and the citizens of this village understand that.”
The entire village is now blacktopped and works for blacktopping the extended roads is about to begin. The village council chairman credited the VDB secretary Imlisanen Sempo for the successful execution of work. “The villagers are fortunate enough to have him (Imlisanen Sempo) as the VDB Secretary, under whose leadership the works are being carried out,” said the Chuchuyimpang chairman. The VDB Secretary Imlisanen Sempo who is an Engineer by qualification, is also the Finance Secretary of the All Nagaland VDB Association.
Imlisanen Sempo disclosed that he dreams to make Chuchuyimpang a model village in Nagaland within the next few years. He said concrete tiles for making footpaths inside the village imported from Assam have arrived in the village. The drainage of the entire village had been completed. Funds and materials were allotted to the seven khels of the village and the residents were asked to build the drains for themselves, and prizes were awarded to those khels who could satisfactorily execute their works. Nonetheless, Sempo expressed deep appreciation to the central government for initiating the MGNREGA which has made the dreams of developing the village roads, drains and footpaths a reality. He also thanked the DAN Government headed by Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio for allotting the funds at the right time which has facilitated the successful execution of the works at the right moment.
It may be noted here that Chuchuyimpang village is one of the most prominent villages in the Ao area. The oldest and the only NAAC accredited government college, Fazl Ali College is located in this village. There are around 650 families in the village, and this initiative of the Chuchuyimpang Village Council and VDB might make the village as the only with four lane streets inside the village in Nagaland.
Aso Imsong a citizen of the village expressed happiness over the widening of the roads in the village. “This widening of roads will go a long way in the development activities of the village. Chuchuyimpang being located near the town and with a prestigious college inside the village will see increase in number of population and business activities. Without roads there can be no fast paced development. It is a wonderful thing that villagers are wholeheartedly cooperating with the village authorities. It will go a long way, and future generations will be grateful to the present leaders of the village,” said Aso Imsong a local scribe attached with the vernacular Ao Milen daily.
