Little did we, the people of Mon, know that what we thought of as a blessing would turn into a nightmare that unfolds itself everyday and even more so when it rains. The blessing here bring the RSVY funded by the former government led by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His government identified Mon as one of the districts to receive a total package of 45 crores.
This much said the fund found its way through the present state government. The fund thus received was divided to be utilized for widening of roads within Mon town, and the irony is that it was sanctioned with objective of uplifting the rural areas. But this novel scheme has proved more of an incubus rather than a boon. It has affected the lives of the people in more than one way. Some of which are as follows.
1. Before commencing the work, the concern authority including the district administration did not consult other departments like PWD, PHED, electrical department and telecommunications. As such amenities like water supply, electricity and telephones are at present completely disorganized, more so the condition of the roads. The people are strangely perplexed whether they should hope that it should rain or wish that it should not. It may sound ludicrous but it is exactly so, because considering the water shortage they are forced to hope for rain. But on the other hand, if it in fact rains then they find that it is seemingly impossible to venture out of the house, because of the terrible state of the road; only people with four-wheel drive have the privilege of going about the marsh field roads.
2. To please the ruling party workers, the work or the contract has been divided into many allotments with as many contractors. This being done without the least consideration of the financial capabilities of the said contractors. As expected, the result is that of but to heap up inconveniences after another.
3. As mentioned earlier, the water supply being completely routed, and since people cannot live without water they are forced to resort to the water from the nullahs, which being polluted has been the cause of many water-borne diseases.
4. Out of the eight doctors who were posted to civil hospital, Mon, only one doctor is on duty. Even the outpost doctors refuse to chip their bit to lighten the OPD, which seems to be growing in number by day. Moreover, the X-ray machine recently acquired after much hue and cry is non-functional. The reason being some defect in its machineries.
Therefore, the state government should immediately take these matters into their hands before things get out of hand, especially the spread of epidemic diseases.
W. Wangshu
Ex-Chairman, Mon Town Committee
