From Ronald Stone Syiem
NONGSTOIN: Domkohsam, a hamlet barely 7 kms from Nongstoin, is unique in the State. The reason for this exclusivity is that there is no road that connects the village to the outside world.
With a population of around 600, the village houses 75 families and the lack of road has brought about endless miseries to the residents who have to walk or rather trek for atleast seven kilometers to fetch even the basic essentials.
Complete lack of health care facilities in the vicinity means that sick people have to be either carried on people’s back or loaded on carts and trolleys as they make their way up and down the slippery slopes to reach the nearest health centres.
However, what is most alarming is the apathy of the concerned authorities. Local legislator, Hoping Stone Lyngdoh, claimed ignorance of the existing condition in the village.
“Nongstoin Assembly constituency covers a large area, besides the people of Domkohsam have not approached me with any memorandum etc. Therefore it becomes impossible for me to know every problem in the constituency,” the veteran politician said.
The legislator’s nonchallance leaves the villagers with little hope of things improving in the near future.
It may be mentioned that a footpath of sorts was constructed in the village after an initiative taken by the Catholic Church and the Block department.
However, the same has also been left unattended since the time of its initial construction.
The Centre had launched the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), with the aim that every village in the hill states with a population of 250 and above should be connected with all weather roads by 2007.
However, Domkohsam, which has more than double the required population, is still not connected to the headquarters of the West Khasi Hills district which is barely 7 kms away.
It is an irony that even as Meghalaya approaches 41 years of statehood, the rural areas have lagged behind in developmental works, all of which have been primarily focused in the capital city.