Survey held to shift Khengjoi Block office
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 17: Led by the Block Development officer of Khengjoi Block Md Nazimuddin Shah, a survey was carried out to determine feasibility of shifting the present headquarters of Khengjoi Block to Khangbarol of Chandel district.

The survey jointly conducted yesterday along with personnel of the Block office, chairman of Khengjoi Block Chiefs' Association Paosei Haokip, its information and publicity secretary Thangkhomang haokip and chairman of Khengjoi Block Development Committee M Paokhosei is a follow up measure after formal proposal by chiefs of 100 villages out of 110 under the jurisdiction of Khengjoi BDO for shifting the office block to Khangbarol.

The chiefs had been demanding shifting of the said office block on account of better connectivity of Khangbarol when compared to the present location of office.

The pitiable road condition leading to Khengjoi being inspected

The chiefs had approached State authorities to study feasibility of their proposal based on which the DC (chandel) instructed the BDO to do the needful.

The joint survey team also accompanied by media persons inspected condition of existing road that links Khengjoi Block from Gokemdo Lamkhai which is about 14 kilometres long.

Gokemdo Lamkhai is situated about 4 kilometres from Khangbarol along the New Somtal route.

In addition to steepness of the 14 kilometre long stretch prolonged negligence and Govt apathy is writ large throughout the route thereby making vehicular accessibility an uphill task which is further compounded by seasonal landslide at many points.

The survey team also came across a particular road section which had caved in due to massive landslide last year and with no sign of repair till date.

It is said that the damaged portion was to an extended repaired prior to Army's influx and subsequent onslaught against UG groups in Khengjoi hill range some times back.

In the present condition possibility of vehicles passing through the said route is very remote.

The team then headed for the 5 kilometre long Joupi-Khengjoi route which was also found covered with undergrowths with no sign of vehicle having passed through the same stretch in recent times.

Commenting on the sideline of the inspection tour, chairman of the chiefs' body Paosei Haokip recounted that Khengjoi road was first developed in 1972 and inspite of repairing for about every five year quality control is questionable as is evident at the juncture.

Insisting that under the PMGSY programme sanction had been made for development/repairing of Khengjoi road which is yet to be executed, Paosei expressed strong resentment that inspite of attempts for the last 35 years for the road's development have been futile with rocky surface of the road stretch being the main stumbling block.

Further alleging that approaching State authorities to provide explosives for cutting through the rocky blocks have failed to evoke positive response, the chairman opined that shifting the BDO office to Khangbarol would be most suitable move and acceptable to the people of the area.

on the other hand, the BDO Md Nazimuddin confided that a report of the survey would be placed before the Government at the earliest in addition to disclosing that Rs 1 crore had already been sanctioned for development and sprucing up requisite infrastructure of the Khengjoi Block office complex.

Significantly having surveyed the roads, the BDO estimated that transportation of construction materials till Khengjoi proper would mean expenditure of about Rs 20-30 lakhs from the sanctioned amount.

Under such circumstances proper development of the BDO office infrastructure would be an uphill task, he stated.

Nazimuddin was also of the view that accessibility of the people to the office should be the top priority as the facility would be central to all developmental activities in the Block and thereby mooted that the office need to be located in such a place with better reach of the people.

he also revealed that compelled by bad road conditions all official works of Khengjoi BDO office is being carried out at a temporary office in Imphal.

interacting with the media persons, chairman of Khengjoi Block Development Committee M paosei informed that Khangbarol village chief has already donated land for establishment of the BDO office at Khangbarol for which even land development work had been completed.