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Kohima, March 2 (EMN): The Mon Medical College at Chi Ponghoa has got into trouble just a few days after its foundation stone was laid by Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, as the Chi Village Council has withdrawn non objection certificate (NOC) given to the district administration and Konyak Union (KU) for the construction of the institute, stating that the government has hurt its sentiments by failing to fulfil the pre-conditions it had set.
A joint statement issued by the chairmen of Goching Village Council and Chi Village Council; Head GBs of Goching and Chi villages; and presidents of Chi Citizen and Chi Union Mon Town stated that they have decided not to give “an inch of Ponghoa” for establishment of the proposed medical college, claiming that the government “had backtracked on its promises”.
The Chi Village Council claimed that the district administration Mon had struck an agreement with the “plot owner of Ponghoa” last year without its consent before asking the council to look for a new location within Chi jurisdiction citing high rates at Chi Ponghoa. It stated that a plot at Kongjonghoa was surveyed with Mon DC, KU executives and other government officials but was rejected due to “multiple landownership”. The plot at Nyata was also rejected, it added.
“The sentiments of the Chi Village Council was hurt as the land offered by it was rejected and land at Ponghoa was chosen in spite of the fact that the plot owner was against the entire village of Chi in our own jurisdiction,” read the statement.
The council claimed that the district administration and KU had compelled it “to negotiate with the plot owner at Ponghoa” with pre-conditions to re-issue the approval order under “Ponghoa Chi, Dist. Mon, Nagaland and not as Ponghong; to re-survey the proposed college site in the presence of Chi and Goching Village Council and KU to avoid any misunderstanding in future; the surveyed plot should be used for constructing the college, complete it within the stipulated time period mentioned in the DPR and that the Chi and Goching village councils would reclaim the ownership of the plot for community use if the project is abandoned for more than 10 years.
The pre-conditions also include land compensation for affected landowners after which Chi and Goching village councils will be the signatories to the land sale deeds and the MOU to be undertaken with the government; and to name institute as "Chi Ponghoa Medical College, Chi Dist. Mon: Nagaland", it was informed.
The statement went on to say that the council issued an NOC on the request of KU and DC after the “Chi” was added to the address of the medical college and the same was mentioned in the foundation stone.
“But to our dismay and an insult to our village, the Government ordered the DC to remove the name of the Chi from the foundation stone on the dictate of an individual plot owner Shri. Gopang who threatened not to give his land (Chi Ponghoa) if the name of the Chi was found on the foundation stone,” read the joint statement.
Citing these reasons, the council stated that it had decided to withdraw the NOC for construction of the institute.
‘Will solve the misunderstanding soon’
On this matter, the deputy commissioner of Mon, Thavaseelan K, told Eastern Mirror that there is a "little misunderstanding" between the Chi village and the land owner to which the district administration along with medical department and Konyak Union is "working on" to sort out the matter.
'There is a little issue with regard to nomenclature of the Chi village. So, we are convincing both the parties (Chi village and land owner),’ said Thavaseelan.
While maintaining that it’s taking some time to resolve the issue, he expressed confidence that it will be resolved.
'We will get it resolve at the earliest possible time,’ he said.
The deputy commissioner also pointed out that the plot, which has been earmarked for the medical college, is a "single landowner" at present, though the land traditionally belonged to Chi village.