Repair roads, demand Eastern Maring villages
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 25 2014:
People of 18 Maring villages of Eastern Maring Area in Chandel district have decided to launch different forms of agitation if the dilapidated roads leading to this area are not revamped by October 15 .
The decision was taken in a joint meeting of village leaders of this area, held at Rilram Centre on September 23 .
After the meeting, village leaders conducted a two-day extensive tour of media persons to this area to show them how villagers have been reeling under extreme backwardness.
Road, medical, education, power facilities were found in extremely poor state in the area, where people of Maring tribe started residing in 1963 .
To reach these 18 villages, one has to brave a bumpy ride of around 18 kms to the east of Tengnoupal towards Sita village.
After reaching Sita Lamkhai, one has to again experience another 16 kms of bumpy road condition to reach the 18 villages of Eastern Maring area along Indo-Myanmar border via Rilram Centre and Lamlong Khunou.
16-km long Sita to Rilram Centre and Lamlong Khunou, 8-km long Lamlong Khunou to Indo-Myanmar border and 8-km long Rilram Centre to Yongkhul village currently serve as the lifelines of these interior villages.
As these recently constructed roads are not black-topped, plying of heavy vehicles had made a three-feet deep twin tracks on the middle of the road making other light vehicles not possible to ply along the roads.
On the other hand, caving in of the newly constructed culverts between Rilram Centre and Lamlong Khunou create more inconvenience to the travellers.
Regarding health care facilities, there is no sign that the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM) is anywhere near these villages as the PHCs and PHSCs of the area neither have doctors nor medicines.
Although, the Government provides books, bags, uniform and midday meal to students, villagers do not want to send their children to Government schools due to absence of teachers.
Apart from these inconveniences, seasonal vegetables and other products cannot be marketed well due to bad road and transport facilities.
As such, means of earning is limited and most of the villagers are economically weak.
Although, the area is electrified, villagers get power supply for only a few days in a year.
As enhancement of road condition is the key to all forms development, villager leaders of these 18 villages conducted a joint meeting to press the Government in this regard at Rilram Centre on September 23 .
They decided to launch different forms of agitation if the roads leading to Eastern Maring area are not revamped by October 15 .