TURA:
A charter of demands to upgrade the new civil sub-division of Rongjeng in East Garo Hills has been submitted to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma by the Garo organisation AHAM during the former’s visit this week to lay the foundation for a football stadium.
Rongjeng town, which previously comprised just one block, was upgraded into a civil sub-division last year, months before the state went into elections.
One of the top demands by AHAM for Rongjeng is for the functioning of the civil sub-division with adequate offices, branches and manpower.
Despite establishment of the civil sub-division the new office continues to operate with a skeleton staff and most of the work load continues to be allocated from Williamnagar- the district headquarters.
The new civil sub-division is currently without an established excise branch, a registration and administrative branch, a supply branch, registration, election wing, among others.
The charter of demands by AHAM also seeks the “proper” implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission water connections to homes following large scale complaints by villagers that pipes have not been laid into homes and insufficient water storage tanks.
Poor implementation of central roads in villages through the PMGSY scheme has also been raised by AHAM with the chief minister pointing out to poor construction of many roads and many more abandoned half way.
They mentioned the delay in completion of several roads, including the PMGSY road starting from NH 42E to Rongdu Dabit, NH-127B to Gandual village, and the PMGSY road to Chikal Songma village.
The delayed completion of the crucial state road from Rongjeng via Mangsang to A’dokgre, on the border with Dhupdhara in Assam, was also raised by AHAM in their demand to the chief minister.
The Rongjeng-Mangsang-A’dokgre road construction commenced in 2017 and still remains unfinished. The road serves as the only link for thousands of villagers across that region, states AHAM.
Appointment of a senior doctor at Rongjeng health centre to cater to rising number of patients, speedy construction of the Rongmil football field, renovation of the lower primary and upper primary schools with proper maintenance of the buildings and other infrastructure, and appointment of sufficient teachers for children were sought from the government by AHAM.