Dimapur, Feb. 13 (EMN): The Longleng District Planning & Development Board convened a meeting, which was held along the Dikhu River in between Tamlu and Wanching village, on February 12. Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom presided over the meeting, updates from the DIPR stated on Wednesday.
Addressing the members of the DPDB and villagers, Phom said that the main purpose of the meeting ‘was to know the grievances and problems faced by the people of Tamlu and bring it to the notice of the board and redress the issues.’
Giving a brief account of the Dikhu Hydro Project, the minister said the survey for the project has to be completed on or before February 28 and submit it to the government for action.
The DIPR stated: “He informed that if the survey report is found to be feasible, then only the government will take the initiative and approach the stakeholders and the landowners for discussion to negotiate for land compensation for final approval of the project.”
The board’s chairman clarified that the ongoing land survey does not mean that the project was finalized, and negotiation for land compensation will not be undertaken during the survey period.
Therefore, Pangnyu Phom appealed to the villagers to understand the norms and allow the survey team to complete their assignment to avoid time constraints for speedy completion of the hydro project. He urged Buranamsang village also to take a strong resolution to ban illegal coal mining, which he said was hazardous to health and environment, the updates stated.
Member of Nagaland Legislative Assembly (MLA) BS Nganlang, also said that the villagers have taken time and expenditure for the last 30 years for the hydro project. He informed that in the past every village had agreed to project and ‘it would be wrong on our part to divert our own decision.’
“Nganlang appealed to the department concern, administration, NGOs and the stakeholders to understand their issues and resolved it judiciously without any communication gap between the government and the landowners,” the DIPR stated.
“He pointed out that it’s a very serious issues which will benefit the people but, if the case is not handle properly it will have negative impact and may invite disaster instead of development.” The MLA also informed the villagers that as elected representatives of the district, they have given assurance for the project to go ahead because it will benefit the people or else they would have opposed the project.
After a brief deliberation, the house forwarded a number of development works to the departments in concern. The matters included retaining wall work, guest houses and administrative quarter, roads, irrigation projects; change of names of villages; construction of community halls; inauguration of rest houses; transport services; opening primary schools at Shetap and Apoigi village; registration of BNSU in the Society Act; water drilling works at various villages of Tamlu; posting and creation of various offices at Sakshi and Tamlu sub-division among others, the updates stated.
