'Only 0.2 pc of Plan Outlay invested in Phungyar AC'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 12 2020: Against the total amount invested for infrastructure development out of the State's annual plan amount, a mere 0.2 per cent is invested in Phungyar Assembly Constituency.

This was stated by Phungyar AC MLA Leishiyo Keishing at the inaugural session of the 2nd general conference of Khukok students held yesterday at Loushing village.

Incidentally Leishiyo Keishing is from the Naga People's Front, which is a partner in the BJP led Government.

He then asked what one could do with 0.2 per cent of the total amount earmarked for infrastructure development.

Nonetheless, development works are being taken up in a more systematic manner since the incumbent Government was installed, he said.

Tender process for construction of Phungyar-Kamjong road under RIDF has been completed.

After the route from Finch Corner to Tengnoupal has been approved as a National Highway, tender process is underway for construction of the road.

As such, the road construction work would begin from March, Leishiyo said.

He further announced that a road from Kamjong to the international border with Burma would be constructed.

A water supply plant would be constructed for each village of Phungyar AC within the next two/three years and this is not the end.

Many more infrastructure would be constructed phase by phase, he said.

He then stressed on the need to take geographical features into account while taking up development works.

The total area of Phungyar AC is 2400 sq Kms and this is 11 per cent of the total geographical area of Manipur.

There are 65,000 people spread across 146 villages within the Assembly segment and they constitute 3 per cent of the total population of Manipur.

The MLA Local Area Development Fund is Rs two crore.

If this amount is divided among the 146 villages, each village gets around Rs 50,000.If the same amount is divided among the total population of the Assembly segment, each person gets around Rs 10, Leishiyo elaborated and asked the gathering what he would do with this amount.

The total MLA Local Area Development Fund allotted to the Imphal Valley represented by 40 MLAs is Rs 80 crore whereas the MLA Local Area Development Fund allotted to Phungyar AC is just Rs 2 crore even though Phungyar AC is larger than the Imphal Valley, Leishiyo said.

He then asserted that system in practice is wrong.

If the same amount of Rs two crore is invested in the Assembly segments of Imphal Valley, buildings can be constructed, drains can be dredged and roads can be black-topped.

Black-topping just one Kilometre of road in hill areas costs Rs two crore, he said before asking what would one do if he is given Rs two crore to black-top a road which cannot be covered in a day.

Pipelines are needed for drawing water from far off gorges.

For laying such pipelines, it requires Rs 40 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.

Claiming that six to seven playgrounds are constructed in a year at different villages of Phungyar AC, the MLA said that even construction of playgrounds is no easy task.

There is no such difficulty in the valley as villages are located in close clusters.

"I alone cannot reform the existing system as it was formulated by the majority.

Nonetheless, I have been exerting strong pressure to reform the system", Leishiyo said.

Phungyar AC is gifted with bountiful natural resources but the people have been living in poverty.

On the other hand, there is nothing at Imphal.

Questioning why the people of Phungyar have been living in poverty in spite of the varied natural resources available abundantly within the vast Assembly segment, the MLA concluded that the people are not hard-working enough.

He went on to ask why the people living in the hills are suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure etc.

This only implies that people are not hard-working enough.

Leishiyo underscored the need to introspect into the poverty of Phungyar people and come out with innovative ideas so that all can prosper.

The inaugural session of the general conference which would continue till January 17 with different events was also attended by Phungyar SDO KG Daigong, ADC Member Thotsang, Zingsho Katamnao Long president Ngachamthay Shipo and ADC Member Wungreiyo Ningshen.

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