Tribes appeal govt to live up to June 10 agreement
Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 29
The Nagaland government has announced a proposal to construct a futuristic all-weather, four-lane motorway traversing the foothills bordering Assam, which will directly connect Mon to Peren via Dimapur. Making an announcement is easier said, but actually getting the plan to work is an altogether different story.
The realisation of this ambitious project is in all likelihood years away, if not decades. While the government sits on the proposal, there arises an all important need for coming up with a workable alternative for the interim or till such time the four-lane road takes shape. For the record, murmurs for the urgent need of a functional foothill road have been whirling about for decades, only, never going beyond the four walls of a room.
As fate would have it, the recent May 24 incident in Mariani proved to be a blessing in disguise. It sparked a movement, not ‘for bringing the culprits to book’ but a mass movement for development seldom seen before. The movement took the form of several tribes coming together with eyes set on making the Foothill Road dream come true.
On June 29, a consultative meeting of representatives from nine tribes, namely – Konyak, Phom, Ao, Lotha, Sumi, Yimchunger, Chang, Sangtam and Khiamniungan took place in Dimapur aimed at hammering out strategies to take the movement forward.
Four pressing points were put up for discussion at the conclave. It included land compensation, (underground) taxation, preventing the movement from taking a political tone, and the concept of the road should be within the definition of ‘foothill’ i.e. it should run along the foothills as envisaged.
With regard to compensation for land owners, the tribal representatives assured that it will not come in the way of the proposed road. There was also a unanimous no to underground taxation for this particular project. The representatives also made it clear that the construction of the road should not be politicised and that it should be within the definition of ‘Foothill’. While doing so, the house maintained that making the shortest possible and the most convenient route between Mon and Dimapur must top the agenda.
In the event the government fails to live up to its assurance made on June 10 last, it was asserted that the people will do everything within their means to start work on the road, even to the extent of raising funds.
During a joint consultative meeting between the Ao Senden representatives and the Chief Secretary representing the Government of Nagaland on June 10 last, the Chief Secretary in written had assured to at least make the Niuland-Tizit stretch motorable by the end of this financial year, while the government moots over the ambitious Mon-Peren four-lane highway. Point number two of the 5-point resolution, appended by the Chief Secretary and counter-signed by the president of the Ao Senso Telongjem Dimapur, states, “The Government stands committed and agree for immediate action to make the existing connectivity from Tizit to Dimapur functional at the earliest. In this regard special action will be undertaken for the stretch via Bhandari to Zukheshi to be initiated and to complete the missing sections within the current financial year 2013-14.” While, point number 3 stated that the government will further explore other short term measures. It had also stated, “The report of the technical teams, who are currently surveying the roads shall be completed by June 2013. Works on such roads that are feasible shall commence at the earliest during the current financial year.”
Further, the house appealed the government to execute construction in line with the June 10, 2013 agreement. The house also resolved to form a committee made up of representatives from the respective tribes which will henceforth take up the Foothill Road project with the government.
The Ao Senso Telongjem Dimapur further appealed the Engineer-in-Chief, Roads and Bridges to reply to the former’s representation dated June 6, 2013. The ASTD had given a 30-day deadline to the Engineer-in-Chief to respond to the letter.
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