Imphal, October 29: Voluntary bodies have totally replaced Government agencies in taking up development works in Saikul area in the last 15 years and the saddest part is that malaria, which is a curable disease, is claiming the lives of more than ten villagers each year due to absence of medical facilities.

This was disclosed by representatives of the Kuki Inpi, Saikul sub-division and AMSU Senapati president Thangjao Misao while talking to reporters at the Saikul Model Higher Secondary School recently.

They said that the recently opened PHC is being run by a local doctor.

However, medicine is not available in the centre.

Due to the absence of drug stores in the area, the people are often infected by common diseases like cold, cough, fever and diarrhea.

There is no water reservoir.

People depend on the unhygienic water from streams and the Iril river for drinking which infects them with water borne diseases.

Every year, malaria kills more than ten villagers.

Regarding educational facilities, they informed that there are seven high schools, two higher secondary schools and five junior high schools.

However, all of them are run privately.

The Government schools have ceased to function since long.

Till date there is no telephone service in Saikul area.

The people receive newspapers one day late though they have access to radio they said and added that the power supply is also very erratic.

The villagers lamented that the seven Government departments including SDO office and Social Welfare are as good as dead.

No weapon is provided to the Saikul police station.

The 5-6 police personnel posted there are just manning the station building.

The non-functioning of the Government offices have compelled the Non Governmental Organizations to take up development work.

Among the NGOs working for the betterment of the area, World Vision Sadar Hills needs special mention.

The body has taken up repairing of roads and bridges.

It also sought help from the then Governments though no action was taken up.

The present aspiration of the people is improving the communication facilities in the area whose population has reached 54,000 in the 2001 census.

They also said that though the Imphal-Saikul road is not very long, the journey has been made extremely difficult by the condition of the road as it has not been repaired by the Government for the last 15 years.

The 40-50 km journey takes more than two hours.

The bus station is also located around four kms away from Saikul, they said and expressed their desire to upgrade the foot-track from the village to the bus station.

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