Our Correspondent
Chozuba, Feb. 28 (EMN): The ‘aggrieved landowners association of SARDP-NE (Chakhabama to Zunheboto road)’ under Chozuba subdivision in Phek district staged a silent protest rally in Chozuba town and submitted an “ultimatum for disciplinary action in respect of RTI obstruction on February 24, 2020.”
The memorandum was submitted to the additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Chozuba, demanding the authorities to constitute an inquiry committee.
The statement read: “The matter pertains to an incident on February 24, 2020 at Chozuba town around 5 to 6 pm where, a mob of more than 100 people from various villages under Chozuba subdivision led by nine village council chairmen, four head GB, and others that also include an Ex-DB (name withheld here in report) thronged into the residences of Cizonyi Khusoh and Veku Khusoh, intimidating them of dire consequences if they would not withdraw the RTI filed by them.”
The duo, Cizonyi Khusoh and Veku Khusoh, were the convenor and secretary of the two-lane road from Sedzu to Dzulha Aggrieved Property Owners Association who had filed two RTIs with respect to two-lane land compensation at the deputy commissioner’s (DC) office in Phek on February 12.
This led the village council chairmen and party to “serve a readily drafted letter of withdrawal and forced them to sign on the letter under intense pressure and life threatening situation where the duo acceded to the mob rule,” it stated.
The landowner association thus stated, “The letter of withdrawal of RTI applications were done under duress”, and added, “the association took it as an insult and direct attack on the whole association.”
They also expressed disappointment at the government and stated, “The association expresses its frustration on the apathy of local administration with regard to land compensation issues raised by the landowners.”
Further, it maintained and warned that “the association have been working tirelessly for the cause of justice, transparency and timely completion of the two-lane project, but is bewildered at the administrative gimmick, causing social unrest in the area. We are to warn that any similar incident as that of February 24, whereby the mob harassing justice seekers causing mental torture and trauma won’t be accepted anymore and any untoward incident will be the sole responsibility of the administrative failure”.
It went on to state that, “RTI as a right will never be sacrificed at the altar of might, and at any cost will defend it.”
In this regard, the association demanded the authorities to “constitute an inquiry committee for the February 24 incident within 10 days from the receipt of the letter and submit the report within 20 days from the date of constitution of the committee”; and also placed on record the charter of demand “with the findings of inquiry committee disciplinary actions be taken against all perpetrators. The VCCs, GBs and all government servants participating in the mob activity be booked under appropriate law for the commission of crime against RTI Act, 2005”.
The aggrieved landowners association took the silent protest rally from Zero Point, Chozuba town till the ADC’s office for about 1.5 km, which saw participation from around 350 families from 12 villages holding placards with various slogans.
“Our stand is not against any individual nor any leadership but a fight for transparency,” said a member.
Also interacting with reporters was a member, Moses Rose who stated, “This project came up with big hope, came for the development of the community; but when we were called to receive the compensation money, we demanded for a list of beneficiaries. However, the authority denied that and therefore in the month of April, all the landowners were called up to Chozuba in ADC’s office to receive the amount (compensation money).”
Rose maintained that when they demanded the list of beneficiaries, and the measurement and amount due to them, “the list was not made available to us and when we insisted on it, then they asked us to file RTI and we did the same in the month of April 2019 at the office of DC, Phek. After receiving the list, we came to know that there were lots of issues in it, with regard to non-existing building and those in the right of way.”
He then stated that the people under Chozuba subdivision had a meeting. “We made a list and brought those non-existing building from Chetheba to Chozuba side and to Sukruzu area, combining all those together, we found out that it was amounting to INR 17.6 crore.”
Following which the association wrote a complaint to the DC Phek on June 12, 2019 for the discrepancy based on the RTI data, appealing to take action for the variance, “but with no action from his side we were forced to go for another step higher, and on July 24, 2019, we submitted the same to the chief secretary.”
“Even to that extent, no action was forthcoming, so on October 10, 2019 we submitted a memorandum along with charter of demand and data to the chief minister, still then nothing was coming,” he said.
Out of the four charter of demands submitted to the chief minister, one was to carry out re-verification of the ‘bogus issues’ (non-existent building), which the administration claimed to have carried out on December 5, 2019. However, the member said that no findings were made available to the public despite several appeals.
Rose also stated that these circumstances led the association to file RTI to the district administration on February 12 and subsequently, the village council chairmen came with the threat to the association leaders.
He remarked, “This is purely a case discrimination of our democratic right. RTI is a right of every individual, and today the protest is to show resentment and submit a memorandum to ADC, Chozuba so that action is taken against the perpetrators.”
