Imphal, January 25 2009: A SIT-IN protest staged at Panthoibi Lampak at Taretkhul today decrying the interference given to the road improvement works taken up on the road connecting Taretkhul with Laikot by the underground organizations under the aegis of the Laikot Protection Road Protection Committee.

According to the protestors, the repairing works of the road which taken up under the initiative of the Khundrakpam MLA, Th Lokeshwor after neglected by the authorities for the last around 20 years since the last black topping in 1987-88.The improvement works has been suspended after an underground outfit imposed ban on further works on the road, they said.

Speaking at the protest site, former member of the gram panchayat Oinam Biren said that in the year around 1987-88, the road from Taret Khul to Chanung was black topped but all the bituminous on the road vanished as it was a sub-standard one.

After then in around 1996, again the funds for repairing the road had withdrawn by some persons who said to belong to KCP (Laichin) with doing any physical works, he added.

He further said that around a month back as a part of civic action taken up by the local MLA Th Lokeshwor and under his initiative, the improvement works of the same road under the PMRGSY started ground lining work for black topping but it was stopped after some persons said to be members of UNLF threatened from working further.

The improvement works on this road which is the main road around 6000 people settling on the sides of the roads have been disturbing by one and any other reasons till date, Biren observed while appealing not to give any kinds of disturbances from any circle this time.

The road is the main lifeline of the villagers of the villages in the interior of Taretkhun village which is only around 22 kilometer distance from Imphal but have no advantage of availing safe drinking water, healthcare and education centre, he said. The president of the Taretkhun to Laikot Road Protection Committee, Haokip Tomba said that the road has been using by the bus service operators by repairing from time to time at their own expenses with the extended supoort of the villagers.

He also reiterated the appeal for not interfering in the road improvement works to the underground organizations.

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