The longstanding problem for residents of Mawshbuit in accessing their own village could be sorted once and for all as the state government is considering construction of an alternative road connecting the hamlet to the outside world.
The headache for Mawshbuit at present is that the only road leading in and out of the village runs through land occupied by the 58 Gorkha Training Centre (GTC). Villagers have repeatedly alleged that they face harassment when travelling into or out of Mawshbuit, while the army insists that it needs to maintain security given that the area is a defence establishment.
In the Assembly today, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who holds the Public Works Department portfolio, informed the house that the government is pondering an alternative road to connect the village.
The issue was raised by Nongthymmai MLA Charles Pyngrope of the opposition Trinamool Congress. He urged Tynsong to convene a high-level meeting with the GTC authorities to address the removal of the army gate at Mawshbuit.
There was also a discussion about whether a 600 metre stretch of road on which the army gate was built is bona fide property of the GTC. To this, Tynsong replied in the affirmative -according to a 1972 notification, the stretch does fall under defence land. Relevant documents had been verified by the district administration pertaining to the case and these will be placed before the Assembly. He assured the house that a meeting with the GTC authorities will be held in the coming weeks to address the issue.
Mawryngkneng MLA Heavingstone Kharpran of the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) also raised the matter of disruption by army personnel of roadworks in Mawshbuit. Tynsong replied that, following a meeting, the GTC officials allowed the repairs to proceed.
The Deputy CM also revealed that the government is considering an alternative route bypassing defence land, potentially connecting Mawlyngngad, Mawshbuit, Mawlynrei and Mawkasiang. He sought cooperation from Kharpran in facilitating land acquisition for the project.
Kharpran expressed his willingness to cooperate and requested that the disputed 600m stretch be properly marked to avoid further conflicts. Tynsong confirmed that the area is already demarcated and that an entry-exit gate has been installed within the defence land.
Nongkrem MLA Ardent Basaiawmoit of the VPP asked whether there were any plans to align the Madanrting–Mawshbuit route for better connectivity. Tynsong stated that the government has yet to examine that possibility but assured that the suggestion would be considered.
