EMN
Kohima, August 16
The youth organisations of L. Khel and P. Khel, Kohima Village have reaffirmed to stand by their ultimatum served to BRO/BRTF on the deplorable condition of the stretch of the road between Tinpati and BSF Camp along NH-29.
A joint release issued by L. Khel Youth Organisation president Kethosituo Mepfhüo and P. Khel Youth Organisation president Vimhalie Pienyü said no amount of justification or clarification will convince the public because the road bears testimony to the incompetence of BRO/BRTF in maintaining the road.
They said even if technical terms like profile correction, re-surfacing, monsoon damage rectification, etc. are recorded on paper, so long as the road continues to remain in its current condition, the organisations will not validate whatever justification is furnished in the media and will not resort to paper war but rather leave it to the public to judge.BRTF has never requested for a meeting on July 14, 2014 and it must be noted that the ultimatum itself was served on July 23 which appeared in the local dailies the next day, they said.
Moreover, the youth organisations are of the view that enough meetings were held in the past years during which false assurances were given to public leaders on many occasions which never materialised.
On one occasion, a DPR was even furnished as sanction order but one of the public members in attendance outrightly pointed out the difference between a DPR and a sanction order which left the BRTF officials red-faced, they said.
They also pointed out that as for the need of demolition and widening, it was done nine years back with the assurance by BRO/BRTF that the road will be developed. Accordingly, JCBs demolished encroaching structures and forcefully widened road sections wherever instructed by the BRTF.
However, BTRF did not honour that assurance and now the then youth leaders are made to bear the brunt and abuse of land owners whose lands were dug by force, the youth bodies maintained.
They went on to state that it is very unbecoming of the 15 BRTF to come up with a clarification in the media instead of repairing the road which is no better than a river.
L. Khel Youth Organisation and P. Khel Youth Organisation will stick to the deadline of the ultimatum and if BRTF fails to initiate repair works, youth forces will be deployed to ban movement of BRO/BRTF vehicles. Any eventuality that arises for non-compliance will be the sole responsibility of BRO/BRTF, they cautioned.
Explaining that this is for the last time the youth organisations are giving any reply or clarification in the media, they said let the public who have been victimised by this road for the past many years be the judge and let the road speak on their behalf.
