Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 13 2010:
A water reservoir constructed at Kultuh village of Ukhrul district near the international border with Myanmar was handed over to the villagers after president of the Information Centre for Hills Area Manipur (ICHAM), N Rajendro inaugurated yesterday.
ICHAM constructed the water reservoir with the fund from the state PHED after the centre brought up the problems of water scarcity facing by the villagers to state PHED minister, TN Haokip.
ICHAM was determined to take the initiative observing the woe of water scarcity facing by the villagers, Rajendro said speaking at the inaugural function.
Villagers of Kultuh village are protecting the territorial boundary along the Ango hill range at the international borderline.
It is the bounden duty of the people of the state to extend co-operation in taking up developmental work, he observed.
He also appealed the villagers to work hard for producing self sustainable food so as to bring development in the region.
Chief of the village, Zamkholun Haokip, speaking on the occasion, observed the woes of water scarcity facing by the villagers for a long time.
Villagers have to track a long way the whole night to fetch water from far of places from the village.
Now, the woe is over with the lying of water pipe upto the village with the effort of ICHAM, he said lauding the initiative taken by the centre for the welfare of the villagers.
He further drawing the attention of the government in taking up developmental work in the border area said that they can proudly say that Manipur government takes care of villagers in the border area once developmental works are taken up in the area.
Paokam, a member of the ICHAM related the difficulties faced by the member of the centre in procuring the pipe upto the village with the support of reporters who were with them in the visit to the village.
During interaction with the villagers, they complaint about the poor healthcare system saying that many live claimed by malaria, typhoid etc.
No power supply in the village and villagers have to buy kerosene at the rate of Rs 30 per litre from Kamjong sub-divisional headquarters.
They also expressed gratitude with initiative taken by the reporters who visited there sometime back who reported about taken away of funds by contractor without actual work done for the construction of road.
Based on the reports, Chief Minister instructed the then DC, Pankaj Kumar Pal to summon the contractor who had taken out Rs 20 lakh for improving a seven kilometer long road to the village from Konkam to IC village.
The contractor was detained by the district authority and forced him to refund Rs 15 lakh and implemented the work.