UKHRUL, NOV 27: Ukhrul Deputy Commissioner Asish Das (IAS) on Thursday flagged off a two-kilometre shingling rural road at Rashontang, Hungpung. It marks the formal rollout of the ambitious 300-kilometre rural road renovation initiative under the MGNREGA scheme.
“Unlocking Ukhrul Model,” the initiative seeks to transform road connectivity across the district by bringing together village authorities, civil society organisations, and citizens in a collective development mission.
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The programme traces its origin to an open public appeal made by the DC on 1 November, urging Village Development Committees (VDCs), CSOs, and residents to collaboratively repair and restore long-neglected rural roads that continue to hamper mobility and access to essential services. What began as an aspiration has now evolved into a district-wide movement powered by people’s participation.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, DC Asish Das described the initiative as deeply personal. “Last month, this was just an aspiration. Today seeing people turn that aspiration into action is extremely heartening,” he said. Despite their limitations, villagers have contributed whatever little they could “That touches me deeply,” he expressed.
He underscored that connectivity forms the backbone of development, noting that poor road infrastructure has long affected access to education, healthcare, markets, and government services in Ukhrul’s remote and hilly terrain. The Unlocking Ukhrul Model, he emphasised, is not merely an administrative programme but a people’s movement aimed at empowering villages, bridging inequalities, and strengthening the rural economy.
Under the district-wide plan, each Village Development Committee has been tasked with renovating at least two kilometres of rural road within its jurisdiction, in coordination with the respective Block Development Officers. As of now, works have been generated for 285 kilometres across the district, with more expected in the coming days.
The DC expressed hope that a major portion of the work could be completed before Christmas, describing it as his symbolic “Christmas gift to the people of Ukhrul.”
“We are already thinking ahead,” he added. “Now we are working towards an Easter Gift. He requested all village authorities to identify landslide-prone and vulnerable stretches and submit geo-tagged photographs through the SDOs. “Perhaps we can intervene in the coming financial year,” he said.
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Local organisations and village representatives have welcomed the initiative, terming it a pioneering example of community-driven development. During an inspection of the newly renovated stretch, the Rashontang authorities presented the DC with a traditional muffler as a symbol of gratitude and solidarity.
SDO Ukhrul Dinringam Kangmei (MCS), Project Officer DRDA Ukhrul Zulfi Shah, Secretary of Hungpung Village Authority YL Ayung, along with the Chairman and Executives of Rashontang attended the program.