Stir threatened in ‘neglected' Manipur district
A village authority representing the people of Noney, the headquarters of Manipur's Noney district, has threatened a mass agitation against the infrastructural and administrative negligence in the Naga-dominated district.
In a memorandum to Manipur's Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on May 3, the Longmai Village Authority set a 10-day deadline for the State government to ensure a series of projects promised to Noney when it was carved out of the Tamenglong district in 2016. The deadline expired on May 12.
'We have been compelled to go ahead with a democratic form of mass agitation after not receiving an affirmative response within the 10 days from the date of submission of our 15-point memorandum,' Kasaigai Gangmei, the chairman of Longmai Village Authority, said.
Locals often refer to Noney, about 63 km west of the State's capital, Imphal, as Longmai.
According to the village authority, the district administration is functioning without proper infrastructure and subordinate staff. It claimed projects such as the prefab field district hospital at Longmai have not moved after their foundation stones were laid over the past few years.
Some of the projects that have not taken off include the Eklavya Model Residential School at Duibansui, the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya at Noney, the Industrial Training Institute at Noney, and a cold storage at a suitable location.
The village authority also said the offices of most of the departments have not been opened in the district yet. Apart from Mr. Gangmei, the memorandum was signed by the Longmai Village Authority's secretary, Gailanchung Kamei, and Longmai Customary Court functionaries Keineshong Gonmei and Gongjai Kamei.
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