Chingai HQs reels under prolonged Govt apathy
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Pamreiso Shimray

Ukhrul, August 26 2013: In what could be termed as an utter negligence by the state government, the Chingai sub-divisional headquarters reels under deplorable condition in the absence of basic human necessities and remains as one of the most backward areas in the state.

In a press conference held on Monday, Chingai village headman Kaphungkan Shimray said that the people from 12 villages living under Chingai headquarters are facing immense hardship due to the compounding negligence of the state government which has resulted in absence of basic healthcare, connectivity, education and other public utility services.

For over a decade now, Chingai headquarters is living in ''dark age'' with no power supply and the 14-km road reduced to almost in a non-motorable state.

A villager crossing the bamboo bridge over Ronrei river

''The Chingai sub-division has been totally ignored by successive state government despite repeated appeals by public from the areas,'' asserted Shimray.

He stated that the primary health centre in Chingai headquarters is understaffed and remained totally unreliable for people in the areas.

The PHC has only one Ayush doctor, one dentist and four nurses and is being operated by a handful of staff on rotational basis.

The Chingai village authorities have urged the government to upgrade the PHC to Community Health Centre.

In spite of several representations to the state government, the Chingai Government High School has also reportedly remained without a headmaster.

The school is said to be in a pathetic condition today, thus, forcing the children to move out to other places.

''There are instances of duty dereliction among the teachers.

However, the authorities are not taking any disciplinary action against the erring teachers,'' the village headman lamented.

In the recent monsoonal rain, it was also informed that the makeshift bridge at Ronrei River point has been washed away and the headquarters has been inaccessible to villages under Chingai sub-division.

''This has caused a great inconvenience to villagers of Challou, Kuingai, Tusom among others,'' Shimray said.

The deplorable state has hit hard the people who are sick and old.

In recent time, a sick person was reportedly ferried from Challou on a motorbike and then later transported to Ukhrul hospital.

Informing that Chingai has no telephonic connectivity till date, the village authorities said the headquarters has a non-functional BSNL mobile tower installed years back.

The tower was functional for about two months only at initial period.

Since then the OFC wire from Ngahui junction to Chingai has been left unattended and tangling hazardously on trees along the road.

''The construction work for SDO and block office is going on at the headquarters...but quality maintenance is highly questionable.

So far, there has been no supervision from higher authorities for the ongoing work,'' Chingai headman stated.

Public from Chingai areas also appealed for early implementation of comprehensive development package including police barrack and bank as per the announcement made by state government this year.