Several organisations and a road monitoring committee in Chawngte town in Mizoram Southernmost Lawngtlai district have demanded the resignation of three MLAs from Lawngtlai and Lunglei districts for their alleged ‘laxity’ towards the plight of people over road communication.
They also threatened to stage a strike on government offices, banks and other government establishments in Chawngte town on Friday in protest against the government inaction to repair Chhumkhum – Chawngte Road, one of the important roads connecting the town.
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A statement issued by Chhumkhum – Chawngte Road Monitoring Committee on Thursday said that the meeting of the committee and several organisations in Chawngte town on Wednesday demanded the resignation of lone BJP MLA Dr BD Chakma from Tuichawng constituency and Congress legislator C Ngunlianchunga from Lawngtlai West constituency in Lawngtlai district for allegedly paying negligence to improvement of road connecting the town.
It further demanded the resignation of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) legislator Dr K Pachhunga from Lunglei South under which falls the dilapidated Chhumkhum and Chawngte road.
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The Committee was formed recently by at least 11 organisations to spearhead movement for renovation of about a 50 km road between Chhumkhum and Chawngte, which has been under a dilapidated condition for months.
Commencing from Thursday, the committee would also launch a strike on government offices, commercial banks and other government establishments in the town till action is taken by the government, the statement said.
The committee finance secretary Omeg Lalramkinlova said that several organisations had made appeals to the government to repair the road especially the most dilapidated section of about 18 km between Lungrang and Chawngte but to no avail.
He said that the effort to meet Chief Minister Zoramthanga, who also holds the PWD portfolio, by the leaders of the monitoring committee on September 14 went futile.
“As the CM was not available for meeting, we served an ultimatum to the government through technical adviser to the CM stating that an agitation will be launched if the government fails to take action on or before September end,” he said.
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He said that the muddy road is not travelable except for some vehicles for quite a long time.
He added that the contractor has been told not to leave till the defected portions were fully repaired.
Meanwhile, technical adviser to the CM – K Sawmvela said that the road was a newly constructed one funded by the World bank and is being monitored by the state PWD.
The contract was awarded to a new Delhi based APS Hydro Private Limited, he said.
Some sections of the road were damaged due to landslides triggered by heavy rains, he said.
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The repair work could not be carried out by the contractor due to the monsoon although it is still under defect liability period, he said.
“We have communicated to the head of APS Hydro Private Limited in Delhi, who promised to carry out the repair work once monsoon is over or from October,” K. Sawmvela, who was appointed this year as technical adviser to the CM after his retirement as the state PWD Engineer-in-Chief said.
Chawngte is one of the largest notified towns in Mizoram with a population of 45,307 according to 2011 census.
It is the headquarters of Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC).
The town imports commodities from Lawngtlai (80 km) and Lunglei (110 km).