Tousem organisation draws CM’s attention

IMPHAL, Oct 28
The Saramba Segment Voice (SSV) Tousem sub-division has appealed concerned authorities to review the reported new alignment of Tamenglong-Halflong road by the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Tamenglong.
SSV in a statement said that the existing old NEC road (Barak Bridge to Achintiang-Makhu river) popularly known as 'Gupta Alignment', which was started construction in 1960s-70s is the only road in the area with good gradient connecting to Tousem areas.
"The Segment villages want the Tamenglong-Halflong road to be constructed and pass through Achintiang which is a border between Thiulon and Chramram villages and a strategic location connecting surrounding 11 villages and beyond," the statement said.
The Deputy Commissioner of Tamenglong, have however ignored the request made by the people of the villages and re-routed to Phelong-Jeichiktiang which has already been rejected and abandoned by the BRTF in 1990s, the statement said.
The people of the villages have been waiting for the road to pass through their proposed site and have given NOC for the-zero land compensation but it seems the DC is 'manipulating' the innocent people of the village without considering the value of the land, it charged.
Despite repeated requests, the DC sought to re-route to a new alignment (Phelong-Jeichiktiang), it continued.
While claiming that the new alignment is not better than the NEC alignment, SSV has appealed to the concerned engineer to take a better look at how good the grade is in old NEC alignment and compare it to the new proposed alignment.
Against the wishes of the villagers, the DC has even by-passed the appeal forwarded by the elected representative of the Chramram ADC Segment, SSV said while saying that accountability and transparency are the core of good governance and thus the office of the DC should be more transparent.
The Chramram ADC Segment is the only Rongmei speaking areas in the whole Tousem-Tamei Constituency and none of the villages will be connected in the proposed new alignment, it said while adding the re-routing of the road will be a great injustice done to the Rongmeis living in the Tousem sub-division.
The Tamenglong-Halflong road will eventually become a Trans Asian Highway and therefore public opinion and mutual consensus should be given utmost importance, SSV said.
SSV, while appealing the Chief Minister and concerned authorities to kindly re-examine the decision taken by the office of the District Administration Tamenglong, warned of agitation if their appeal is not considered.