MOKOKCHUNG — Landowners in Mokokchung have indefinitely shut down the district Youth Resources & Sports office, escalating a dispute over the appointment of a night watchman. The landowners allege that the appointment has breached the agreement inked between the state government and the landowners in 1993.
As per the clause 4 of the 1993 agreement, all Grade IV positions within the department located on their land should be offered to landowners. They claim to have applied for the night watchman position but were overlooked in favour of a non-landowner.
The shutdown, which began on Tuesday, follows a series of communications from the landowners to the Director of Youth Resources and Sports. They initially complained on August 19 about the selected candidate not being a landowner, followed by a formal representation to revoke the appointment on September 19. On October 14, they issued a 20-day ultimatum, which expired on November 4, leading to the office closure.
The landowners stated, “Downright ignorance of our demand and…non-adherence of the agreement…have compelled [us] to shut down the office indefinitely until full compliance is achieved.”
They have also threatened to escalate the protest by shutting down the entire Imkongmeren Sports Complex area if their demands remain unmet.
“We stand by the agreement and if it is not honoured, the agreement will be deem null and void and the land will be transferred back to the landowners,” the landowners asserted.
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