Dimapur, June 14 (EMN): The apex civil societies of Longleng -- Phom Peoples’ Council, Phomla Hoichem and Phom Laivangh Pangthai -- on Saturday lamented that the lone district jail has been abandoned for years and still remains a distant dream.
A press statement from the Phom Students’ Conference's media cell stated that in 2011, when the construction work of the district jail began, the people of Longleng were relieved thinking that they would soon have their own district jail and need not ferry prisoners to Mokokchung. However, to their dismay, it has been left unattended for more than nine years now.
The civil societies visited the uncompleted jail and appealed to the concerned department and the state government to expedite the work in a month or two. It warned that failing to so do, the apex bodies will take its own course of action.
Since there is no district jail in Longleng, it said the under trial prisoners and accused are all kept in District Jail Mokokchung, which is 74 km away from Longleng headquarters and the public transport vehicles take four hours to reach the destination due to pathetic road condition.
It is neither safe nor advisable procedure and sensible to transport prisoners on such a long inter-district journey from place of trial court to jail, it added.
It stated that the absence of district jail has added another woe not only to the prisoners but also to the family members as they have to visit them.
"With the change in portfolio every after five years (sic), the promises made to complete the district jail by a year by every concerned who holds the portfolio now also seems to be a far-fetched dream," it lamented.
"The road even though in dilapidated condition but to take the prisoners from a police station to district jail Longleng, if at all it turns into reality will only take a maximum of ten minutes but the sorry state of affair is that the state government wants to take a longer route. If only our State Government understands the importance of a district jail better like the citizens of Longleng do. But, our state being a Christian state believes in biblical values 'Love Thy Neighbour' so the people of Longleng feels oblige to the Mokokchung district jail for accommodating all the prisoners from Longleng district (sic)," it read.
Stating that it has been more than nine years that the jail has been abandoned, it said 'if it was a private resident of some officers, it would have been completed long time back'.