Imphal: Several remote villages in Manipur’s Kamjong district, predominantly inhabited by the Naga community, continue to remain cut off from basic infrastructure and essential public services despite the implementation of multiple government welfare schemes, according to a recent field inspection.
A joint team of the Peoples United Youth Front (PUYA) and the Foothills Naga Coordinating Committee (FNCC) visited villages in the district and highlighted the lack of road connectivity, electricity, healthcare, and education facilities.
The inspection found that Sahamphung village is still without electricity, while both Sahamphung and the neighbouring village of Zinsui do not have any healthcare centres.
The team also visited Mapum Khul, a village with more than 1,700 residents located around 45 km from the Kamjong district headquarters. Although the village came under Kamjong district after its creation in 2016, residents say little has changed in terms of development.
Village headman Yureingam said the Primary Health Centre (PHC) building, completed about a year ago, has remained locked and has not been made operational. In the absence of doctors and nursing staff, villagers are forced to travel nearly 40 km to Ukhrul District Hospital for medical treatment. The journey, which becomes particularly difficult during the monsoon, takes around three hours and costs about Rs 200.
Education facilities are also in poor condition. The only Government High School in the village reportedly has no teachers, compelling many families to send their children to Ukhrul to continue their education.
Residents also face unreliable mobile network connectivity, further limiting communication and access to essential services.
PUYA general secretary Longjam Abothe and FNCC convenor Akhui, who were part of the inspection team, criticised what they described as years of official neglect and called on the state government to address the situation without delay.
The organisations urged the Electricity Department to provide power connectivity to Sahamphung, the Health Department to deploy medical personnel and operationalise the PHC at Mapum Khul, and the Education Department to appoint teachers to restore academic activities at the village school.