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A view of the Naga Patients’ House at Dibrugarh in Assam.[/caption]
Dimapur, Aug. 17 (EMN): Minister for Public Works Department (Housing and Mechanical) Tongpang Ozukum has expressed ‘disdain’ at the dilapidated condition of the state guesthouse, commonly known as Naga Patients’ House, at Dibrugarh in Assam.
According to a statement from the minister’s press secretary, Ozukum visited the site on August 16, and assured the Naga residents and scholars at Dibrugarh to build a well-planned patients’ house at the earliest.
The minister expressed concern about the plight of Naga people coming to Dibrugarh for healthcare, and students for academic pursuit, who end up incurring additional expenses on food and lodging as the guesthouse lacks the basic amenities needed by visitors or patients.
Ozukum said that for many years, the facility has been neglected even though it could benefit Naga people — especially from Mokokchung and the eastern districts — as it is located at the busy Paltan Bazar, where most of the healthcare centres and educational institutions are located.
“Mizoram government is also running a well-furnished state guesthouse which is positively helping their people who come seeking admission to colleges, and medical care; that’s why we find patients and scholars from Nagaland lodging at the nearby Mizo guesthouse as the present Nagaland House is not inhabitable,” the minister was quoted as saying.
Ozukum said that the department has ‘successfully culminated’ the legal modalities concerning the issue of encroachment of the site. He expressed appreciation to the Naga Students’ Union Dibrugarh and Naga Christian Fellowship Dibrugarh (NCFD) for taking care of the house after it was established in 1971.
Tali Longchar, a member of NCFD, said that it would be advantageous to maintain and run such a guesthouse, as Dibrugarh is one of the most important commercial and progressive cities in Assam, which is frequented by Naga people, especially from Mokokchung district and eastern Nagaland.
The minister also inspected the Nagaland PWD store located at Amguri in Assam, and interacted with the caretaker and officials from the department who had accompanied him on the trip.