Pulling apart the lives of the people Making a joke of JJM
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Manipur certainly does not need this. The place and her people are still reeling under the clash that erupted on May 3, 2023 and then comes the report of Rajbari being pulled apart. Raj Bhavan is still mum on the demolition drive and only the Planning and Development Authority (PDA) has come out with what one would say is a desperate attempt at damage control exercise. Other than this, there is nothing much to suggest that there is a Government in place and even as the Public Works Department is going ahead with the rigid pavement works in Imphal, there are still numerous stretches of roads that are just not fit for vehicular movement. The Thangmeiband to Langol stretch is just one example, a story which was highlighted in The Sangai Express complete with a picture, but more than obvious that this would not jolt the senses of the Government. As repeatedly stated in this column, the only stretch of road that passes off without much of potholes and bumps is the stretch from the PWD office at Khoyathong to Bir Tikendrajit Airport. And just next to the PWD office is the bridge over the Naga nullah that takes one towards Khoyathong and Thangmeiband and the 50/60 metre stretch of approach road to the bridge is an apt case of citing an example on how not to forget that the job of putting up a new bridge does not begin and end with the act of installing the bridge. Equal focus should also be paid to the approach road and making things worse is the fact that just after crossing the newly laid bridge is the traffic crossing on the Kanglapat road where traffic moves with lightning speed. Just an example that comes to mind and go towards the Nagamapal stretch, Wahengbam Leikai road and the ugliness of Imphal will emerge for one and all to see. These are some of the main roads that one is talking about and go to the leiraks and the picture is all that more gloomy. This is the situation under which Imphal has been reeling under for years, at least from 2023. And 2025 is fast galloping towards its end. These are just some examples of the pathetic state of roads in Imphal and look further and water supply is yet another tale that goes to make up the story of the people of Manipur. Many leikais receive water supply once or twice a week and it is only the fortunate few who may receive it thrice a week. Even when the water does come, the pressure is so weak that almost all the houses have to activate their water pumps. This is the situation in Imphal, that is six years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the grand Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019.
As things stand right now, Lok Sabha MP Bimol Akoijam has already gone on the war path questioning what has happened to the over Rs one thousand crore sanctioned for the water supply scheme. So far the State Government has not deemed it fit to even acknowledge the question raised by the MP, but it should not be forgotten that a number of individuals in Senapati district have come together to write to the Union Finance Minister that while the office of the district Deputy Commissioner has claimed that 10 villages in the district have achieved 100 percent water connection, in reality there is not even a single water tap connection in all the 135 villages in Senapati district ! Just three words can sum up the allegations raised by the Senapati folks, ‘Liars and Thieves.’ If the paper work says that 10 villages have been provided water supply, why isn’t this reflected at the ground reality ? And who has pocketed the funds meant to connect the households with water supply ? More importantly has Raj Bhavan taken note of the serious allegations raised by some conscientious people of Senapati district ? How about the other districts, particularly the hill districts ? More importantly who is in charge of water supply in Manipur ? Who is the man at the top ? Shouldn’t accountability be fixed ? Or is the Jaal Jeevan Mission just a slogan that sounds good on paper and is something that can be said with the tongue not getting twisted ? Coming back to Imphal, the metre gauge connected to the water pipes is supposed to become operational from early next year, while in some localities the same had been installed more than two years back. Now will new metre gauge be needed when the time to activate it comes ? Is it going to be another round of tender for contract and supply work ?
As things stand right now, Lok Sabha MP Bimol Akoijam has already gone on the war path questioning what has happened to the over Rs one thousand crore sanctioned for the water supply scheme. So far the State Government has not deemed it fit to even acknowledge the question raised by the MP, but it should not be forgotten that a number of individuals in Senapati district have come together to write to the Union Finance Minister that while the office of the district Deputy Commissioner has claimed that 10 villages in the district have achieved 100 percent water connection, in reality there is not even a single water tap connection in all the 135 villages in Senapati district ! Just three words can sum up the allegations raised by the Senapati folks, ‘Liars and Thieves.’ If the paper work says that 10 villages have been provided water supply, why isn’t this reflected at the ground reality ? And who has pocketed the funds meant to connect the households with water supply ? More importantly has Raj Bhavan taken note of the serious allegations raised by some conscientious people of Senapati district ? How about the other districts, particularly the hill districts ? More importantly who is in charge of water supply in Manipur ? Who is the man at the top ? Shouldn’t accountability be fixed ? Or is the Jaal Jeevan Mission just a slogan that sounds good on paper and is something that can be said with the tongue not getting twisted ? Coming back to Imphal, the metre gauge connected to the water pipes is supposed to become operational from early next year, while in some localities the same had been installed more than two years back. Now will new metre gauge be needed when the time to activate it comes ? Is it going to be another round of tender for contract and supply work ?