Wokha district legislators with Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh in Wokha on June 16.
Dimapur, June 16 (MExN): Legislators from Wokha district in Nagaland have submitted a joint representation to Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, during his maiden visit to the district, highlighting four critical areas requiring urgent intervention, including the declaration of a key road as a National Highway and a comprehensive package to address human-elephant conflict.
Welcoming the minister to the “Land of Plenty,” the four MLAs representing the constituencies of Wokha district urged him to use the opportunity of his visit to understand the region’s long-pending developmental needs.
In their memorandum, the legislators called for the “declaration of Wokha–Merapani Road as National Highway.” They stated that “the Wokha–Merapani road leading up to Golaghat is a vital link road that connects Nagaland with Assam. This route is crucial for trade, transportation and access to essential services for our communities.” They expressed concern over “inadequate maintenance and infrastructure development” and appealed to the minister to “personally take up this matter with the Ministry of MORTH and PMO for consideration and declaration of Wokha-Merapani up to Golaghat road as a National Highway.”
The second point highlighted was the “up-gradation of Wokha-Bokajan Road,” which they described as a lifeline for not only Wokha district but also for Mokokchung, Tuensang, Zunheboto, Tseminyu, Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, and Shamator districts. “Wokha-Bokajan road also serves as the shortest route to Dimapur, the commercial capital of Nagaland. As a matter of fact, this road requires urgent attention as it is almost non-pliable at the moment owing to constant land erosion and mudslides,” the legislators stated. They requested that the road be upgraded “on top priority.”
The third point concerned the “infrastructure development to Wokha District Headquarters.” The legislators sought support for the development of a district office complex, multipurpose market complex, stadium, and approach roads in Wokha town. They noted that such infrastructure was essential “for catering to the current and future needs of our community being the district HQs. for the Lotha tribe as whole with a population of 1.60 Lakhs as per 2011 census.”
The final appeal was for a “comprehensive policy and package to address human-elephant peaceful co-existence.” They pointed to the growing menace of human-elephant conflict in Wokha district and beyond, stating: “As you are aware, elephants are an integral part of our natural heritage. However, the increasing instances of human-elephant conflict pose significant challenges to our communities. Crop destruction, property damage, and potential threats to human safety have become common occurrences, leading to distress among farmers and local residents.” They urged the Government of India to initiate a “comprehensive policy and special package” to mitigate the issue in Nagaland.
The memorandum was jointly signed by Y. Patton, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister in-charge of Home and Border Affairs (37 Tiyi A/C), Y. Mhonbemo Humtsoe, MLA (38 Wokha A/C), Mhathung Yanthan, MLA and Advisor, Agriculture Department (39 Sanis A/C), and Achumbemo Kikon, MLA and Chairman, SDPDB Bhandari (40 Bhandari A/C).
