UKHRUL: The Hongbei–Ramva road, connecting Ukhrul and Kamjong districts, has remained neglected for decades, with hardly any sign of repair, proper maintenance, or upgradation. The road, built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), links the Kasom Khullen–Imphal road and NH-102A at Hongbei in Kamjong district with the Imphal–Ukhrul road (NH-202) at Ramva village in Ukhrul district. It passes through about 11 Tangkhul Naga villages and serves as a vital alternative route between the two districts.
This route has become especially significant amid the ongoing communal conflict between the Nagas and the Kukis, and in light of the blockade on NH-202 at Shangkai, Litan, and Mongkot Chepu. Despite the urgent need for a safe alternative route connecting the two districts with the state capital, this lifeline for the Tangkhul Nagas remains largely ignored.
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In a detailed investigation by this Ukhrul Times reporter, former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of 43-Phungyar Constituency and current President of the Working Committee of the Congress Party, Victor Keishing, said the road was first proposed by his father, the then MLA and former Chief Minister and Rajya Sabha MP, Rishang Keishing in 2000 when PMGSY was launched. PMGSY, under the Rural Development department, is currently handled by Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen.
Reliable sources said the road maintenance project has now been divided among MLA Leishiyo Keishing, BJP Vice President Hopingson Shimray, and MLA Ram Muivah. The sources also stated that after the new Chief Minister, Y. Khemchand Singh, assumed office, MLAs were sanctioned Rs 1 crore each for the maintenance of PMGSY roads.
According to these sources, MLA Leishiyo Keishing is responsible for the stretch from Hongbei to Shingkap village and from Tangkhul Hungdung to Nongdam; BJP Vice President Hopingson Shimray is in charge of the Shingkap to Lungphu stretch; and MLA Ram Muivah is responsible for the Lungphu to Ramva segment.
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The office of MLA Leishiyo Keishing clarified that maintenance work is currently being carried out under the PMGSY by a contractor selected through a tender process and not from the local area development fund.
Hopingson Shimray said his allotted stretch covers 18 km, from Shingkap to Lungphu village, but the sanctioned amount for this segment is yet to be ascertained. He added that MLAs are entitled to Rs 2 crore each for local area development.
MLA Ram Muivah could not be reached for comments.
Meanwhile, the Tangkhul Naga Aze Long, the apex civil body of the Southern Tangkhul, issued a notification on June 3 announcing that a road maintenance contribution fee would be imposed on commercial vehicles plying along the Ramva/Lambui–Hongbei via Tangkhul Nongdam road. Seeking the cooperation of all vehicle owners, the union said heavy-loaded vehicles would be charged Rs 500 (five hundred), while light-loaded vehicles would be charged Rs 200 (two hundred).
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When this reporter last inspected the route on June 18, the road was in such poor condition that it was nearly impassable. Villagers expressed serious concern about what the situation will be like during the monsoon season. This crucial lifeline connecting several villages has been left in such a state of neglect that it took more than four hours to cover a mere 58 km (approximately) from Ramva to Hongbei via Nongdam.
In conclusion, the authorities should investigate the issue and take necessary actions, including upgrading the road or proposing a road expansion project, to alleviate the suffering of commuters, including the elderly, children, and patients. It is unfortunate that citizens bear the brunt of government and concerned authorities’ negligence – or is it a case of some lining their own pockets at public expense?
