From lifting of NLTP Act to road construction, NCD calls for Governor’s intervention
Mokokchung, 30 August (MTNews): Stating that Dimapur, the nerve center of business and gateway to Nagaland, has been neglected in terms of development, the Naga Council Dimapur, an apex Civil Society Organization comprising 20 Naga Tribes and 4 independent Civil Society Organizations, wrote to Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, calling for immediate intervention on seven key issues.
The Council appealed to the Governor to prompt the Nagaland government to take action on issues including the construction of a By-Pass Road at NH-29 in Dimapur, the construction of a road for the New Naga Cemetery in Zani Village, Dimapur, the completion of the Dimapur Multi-Disciplinary Sports Complex, the completion of Dimapur Civil Hospital, the construction of a new flyover bridge from the Plaza Point to join the present Railway Over-bridge, the lifting of NLTP Act 1989, and the reinstatement of the construction of Unity Mall in Dimapur.
Affirming that Dimapur stands as an established business headquarters where unity in diversity serves as a true testament to a secular democratic city, the council called for the construction of a 2-lane road spanning 2.7 km at National Highway-29, stretching from Amar Mill point near the inter-State check Gate, Nagaland Police, to Burma camp and Dansari bridge in Dimapur-Nagaland.
The council also requested the construction of a metalled and black-topped approach road from Daily Market Bamunpukhuri-l to the New Naga Cemetery in Zani Village Area. It argued that while the New Naga Cemetery was commissioned for use in 2020 during the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, the approach road leading to the new cemetery remains in a deplorable condition.
Therefore, the NCD expressed a strong desire to have this approach road constructed, including the addition of side drainage, at the earliest.
The NCD also highlighted that the construction of the Dimapur Multi-Disciplinary Sports Complex has been a total failure, as it has remained under construction since 2005, with no signs of completion to date when it was expected to complete by 2009. Concerning the Dimapur Civil Hospital, the NCD pointed out that although it is on the verge of completion, there has been no progress or further development since then. Hence, the council requested that the Dimapur Civil Hospital be completed within a specific timeframe.
Furthermore, the urgency to construct a new flyover bridge from the Plaza Point to join the present Railway Overbridge was emphasized to alleviate the prevailing traffic congestion, especially for school-going students and individuals attending government offices and private workplaces in the city.
Further citing the NLTP Act 1989 as a ‘total failure’ in the Dimapur district, the council shared its aspiration for the Act’s removal from the district through appropriate mechanisms. “There has been a continuous reminder to both public and the law department for complete closure of liquor outlets but to our observation the NLTP ACT 1989 has become a mockery, where there are about nearly 1000 liquor outlets in the Dimapur area itself,” stated the council. It further claimed that this act has led to an increase in drug abusers, particularly among school and college students.
Therefore, the NCD urgently requested a discussion on this matter in the upcoming Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
The NCD also drew attention to the Unity Mall, allocated for Dimapur as part of the Union Budget 2023-2024 for the establishment of Unity malls across the country. However, it has been slated for construction in “another” district. Unwilling to accept this “step-motherly” treatment, the NCD fervently appealed for the reinstatement of Unity Mall to its originally proposed location in the interest of justice.
The Naga Council Dimapur comprises the Naga Women Hoho Dimapur, Dimapur Naga Students’ Union, Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation, and the Dimapur Goan Bura’s- Sadar, along with other Dimapur-based Civil Societies, namely, Dimapur Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Dimapur District GB Federation, and Dimapur Eastern Naga Students Union.