IMDH Road Issue: Youth organizations to meet ward authorities today

As the six-day ultimatum served by the four youth organizations to repair the debilitated hospital road in Mokokchung enters the third day, it is learnt that the four youth organizations will meet with the four ward authorities on Saturday at the Penli Ward Community Hall to deliberate on the issue. The four wards are Penli, Majakong, Lijaba Lijen and Artang.

Lanulemba, president of the Majakong Ward Youth Association told Mokokchung Times that the meeting will be held to discuss the matter of “road blockage” from Main Police Point to Sewak Gate Junction, which the associations had warned about in their ultimatum served on Thursday stating that if the “concerned authority” does not respond positively within six days of the submission of the ultimatum, they will “unconditionally” block the road from Main Police Point to Sewak Gate Junction via IMDH. He further added that responses are yet to be received from the “concerned authority.”

It is to be noted that the youth associations of the four wards first wrote a representation to DC Mokokchung on August 23, 2022 regarding the repairing of IMDH road which was further endorsed by the Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem.

Further, during the DPDB meeting in September, it was expected that the much-discussed Hospital Road issue would take center-stage. However, the DPDB meeting produced no immediate solution to the hospital road repair works requirement. Instead, it was learnt that the board decided it was best to write a letter to the appropriate authority to repair the Hospital Road. It was also further learnt that there was no special funds to fix the hospital road.

The same month, Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung wrote to the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs (UDMA), Nagaland, Kohima drawing attention to the dilapidated condition of the Urban Development Department road from Police Point to Sewak Gate via IMDH, Mokokchung town.

Then, in October, the Chief Minister of Nagaland, who also holds the Finance portfolio, announced in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly that an amount of Rs.1.07 crore has been sanctioned for maintenance of the Dr. Imkongliba Memorial District Hospital (IMDH) Road.

However, through a representation from the four youth organizations the previous week, it was learnt that the sanctioned amount has not been released as of date, because of which the road has not been repaired yet. Following this, the apex Ao Senden as well as the All Ward Union Mokokchung Town also made public statements demanding that the sanctioned amount for the road as announced by the Chief Minister be released and the road repaired immediately.

As no positive news was forthcoming, the four youth organizations on Thursday, November 24 served the 6-day ultimatum addressed to the Deputy Commissioner demanding a “positive response,” failing which it was declared that they would “unconditionally” block the road.

Mokokchung Times