Rengpang Circle yearns for Govt attention
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 07 2019: With schools, hospitals, water supply and many other basic amenities still a far cry in Rengpang Circle, villagers in this segment of Noney District feel alienated yet they are seeking immediate attention of the State Government.

Located around 125 Kms away from Imphal, Rengpang Circle comprises of Khongsang village, Taodaijang village, Thingou village, Okoklong village, Bolongdai village, Rengpang - I and Kaengbianpang.

Due to absence of proper schools, many parents/villagers in Rengpang circle are struggling to send their children to far off schools although the villagers see education as the ultimate solution for eradicating abject poverty.

When a joint team of locals and reporters visited Khongsang Government Primary School yesterday, the school was found in an appalling condition with many of the classrooms looking almost similar to paddy fields.

Locals informed that only two classrooms of the school can be used as of now while the reporters witnessed many classrooms of the school being inundated by ground water.

Windows and doors of most classrooms were broken and the toilets too were also found in very unsanitary conditions.

Rengpang Circle yearns for Govt attention

Khongsang Village Authority chairman Kilongdi Golmei while speaking to reporters asserted that Khongsang and its adjoining villages have been reeling under acute shortage of basic amenities and infrastructure.

Saying that most villagers in Khongsang and its surrounding villages are poor with their livelihood depending on horticulture and agriculture activities, he said that most parents face huge problem in sending their children to proper schools as the maximum schools in Rengpang Circle are plagued with the common problem of shortage of teachers and poor infrastructure.

There is only one Government Model High School which has classes 9 and 10 in Rengpang Circle, but it cannot meet the needs of the villagers.

The Government Model High School is also quite far off from many of the villages in Rengpang Circle.

Parents who cannot afford to send their children to private schools have to send their children to the abysmal Government school as they have no other options, he added.

He lamented that neither the previous Government nor the present Government pay any heed to the repeated calls of the villagers to look into their grievances which include lack of appropriate schools, medical facilities among others.

Governor Najma Heptulla had assured of providing assistance in developing the play field of the school campus from her own expense in the past.

But nothing tangible could be seen so far, he said while urging the State Government to develop the ground into a proper playing field under Khello India scheme.

Saying that there are health care facilities only in name at Rengpang segment, the chairman further conveyed that absence of Community Health Centre (CHC) or Public Health Centre (PHC) plagues health care service in the villages.

There was even an incident of a pregnant mother dying in child delivery in Khongsang village in the past as she could not be rushed to Nungba PHC.

He also said that water supply scheme taken up a few years back is meaningless as there are no water pipelines in the villages.

While visiting Taodaijang Village the same day, the reporters found that villagers of the said village contributed money and hired six teachers to make up for the acute shortage of teaching staff at Taodaijang Junior High School.

Salem Rongmei, Principal (in-charge) of Taodaijang Junior High School claimed that villagers of Taodaijang village, irrespective of men, women and youth share a common responsibility towards improving the school.

He maintained that two classrooms of the school had already been constructed by the villagers besides repairing the whole school in the past as the Government has failed to look after the requirements of the school.

As of now, six teachers are being hired by the village authority.

The teachers are paid Rs 6000 to 6500 per month from the contributions made by the villagers.

The school authority had approached the DC and ZEO of Tamenglong in the past to address the plight of the school.

They have assured of fulfilling the same.

But, none have ever translated their assurances into action till today, he said.

There is only one Government Aided Primary School in Rengpang.

But the school infrastructure is terribly shabby with a large portion of the building hollow.

Only two Government approved teachers are there in the school.