CHOKPOT, Oct 16: A visit to the town of Chokpot in South Garo Hills shows you everything that is wrong with development with the state of Meghalaya. In fact, it shows you that an entire state can conveniently forget that there are people that you can conveniently forget except for when it comes to elections. Meghalaya, it seems, has completely forsaken the people of Chokpot and left an entire generation to fend for itself.
The Assembly constituency of Chokpot is currently represented by Trinamool Congress MLA Lazarus Sangma. The constituency had over 25,000 voters in 2018 and is likely to see at least a 10% increase in 2023.
The distance between Chokpot and Tura, the largest town in the western part of the state, is a mere 52 km though given the condition, it is likely to take at least over two hours to get there. The first 19 km falls on the under-construction NH-51 till Nokatgre of which the initial 13 km of the road is literally a landmine with hardly any tar left on the road. After 13 km, you get to about 20 km of road that is currently being repaired. The repair work, as per the contractor, was sanctioned in 2014 and still remains incomplete.
“Initially it was the problem of militancy as no one dared to work on the road. After militancy ended, there was a cost escalation and we had no extra money. We have somehow managed to finish most of the sections and only a few kilometres remain,” informed the contractor.
However what is ironic is the fact that the entire stretch of road has been done without any form of drainage. Some sections that were completed by the contractor now resemble the initial 13 km of the same road.
“What can we say? Only a few kilometres are taken up each year and without drainage. By the time the contractor gets on to the next section – depending on his mood or the pressure exerted, the previous section is dilapidated. This has been an ongoing saga through decades and numerous contractors. We have never had a fully functional road to begin with,” lamented shopkeepers from Deku who were on their way to Chokpot.
While the 33-km drive from Nokatgre to Chokpot is deplorable, once you arrive at Chokpot, you actually feel the frustration that the people of the area feel over their own situation. This frustration and anger has now turned into resignation as they believe, no matter who rules the state, they will continue to suffer.
The villagers said the 28-km route from Chokpot to nearby Sibbari in the same district is a bigger nightmare. The road connects to the district headquarter of Baghmara and is an important road for them. It not only takes around three hours to cover the distance but also requires a whole lot of nerves.
The construction of this road has been provided to the now notorious CCL International Limited, which during the time of the previous regime got plenty of road work, most of which remain either incomplete or in shambles after completion. It is also the company that brought in the much famed ‘German’ technology to Meghalaya and which is now responsible for most rural roads that have been constructed, lying in shambles.
The Adokgre – Rongjeng road (incomplete), the Mendipathar – Resubelpara road (in shambles just 3 months after completion) and the Mendipathar – Songsak road (in complete shambles) are but a few examples of how CCL’s hyped German technology destroyed dreams and hopes of workable roads for many in Garo Hills.
In the case of the Chokpot – Sibbari road, the construction began in early 2018 and till the time of reporting not even metalling has been completed in most of the sections. During a recent visit, six labourers and one in-charge were seen trying to construct the road.
The ‘Mohori’ of CCL, who was present at the scene, had nothing more than a smile in response to a question on the delay in the construction. Other authorities remained unavailable for comment.
“At this rate, they will require at least 100 years. They only have two heavy machines that are being used. How is this fair and what has the department been doing? There seems to be a complete lack of coordination in the way Chokpot is looked at,” said Abraham Marak, a local from Chokpot.
He also said that the matter has been raised time and again by various NGO groups of Chokpot but nothing has been done to give the people any form of confidence that a quality road will ever be a part of Chokpot folklore in decades to come.
“We have faced tremendous hardships due to the road and this has remained in this permanent state of dilapidation. In fact, I remember even as a kid that the condition of this road was the same,” informed a 37-year-old local from nearby Rongrokgre, preferring to give his age rather than his name.
Yet another road – Rongrokgre to Gasuapara – is a stuff of absolute nightmare. This road has not been touched for close to 50 years now and it shows just how much the state has neglected Chokpot.
The road in question has always remained a ‘kuccha’ one ever since Meghalaya attained statehood in 1972. It however connects to over 30 villages all the way to Gasuapara about 32 km away. If completed it would have made the situation of the people that have been affected almost heavenly. For now, it is hell for them.
“The road can only be used during 4 months every year and that too by 4WD or off-road vehicles. There are schools and villages on the route, most of which can only be traversed by two wheelers, with extreme caution. Cars or commercial vehicles cannot access the route during the rains. This has led to hardships beyond anyone other than those affected, to understand,” said a villager from Rongrok.
The villagers, all of whom base their livelihoods on agriculture (food and cash crop), have been begging for someone to notice their plight but without any success.
Some of the villages that fall on the route include Rongrokgre, Mitap, Mongsnagre, Mon Ading, Atabeng, Rongrongre, Karsigre and Chitimgre, among others.
“We cannot sell our crops as vehicles aren’t able to come to our villages. It is humanly impossible to carry such loads on our heads to sell in the market. While we have been blessed with good crop yield, most of it has to be either used locally or stored until the road is navigable,” said another villager.
An Upper Primary school teacher, who teaches in the school near Rongrong, informed that he used his motorcycle to travel every day. Many times he slipped on the same road in trying to find navigable sections of the roads.
“The children mostly walk but I am not the only one who fell while navigating this route. Almost everyone here has fallen and travel takes up a lot of time,” he said.
His school is only about a kilometre away on the same route.
Another extremely important part of the story is the fact that many villagers on the route, who have bought cars for use, leave it at the three-way point at Rongrok.
“We can hardly use the car the entire year and leave it there so that we can travel further ahead when required. The car is useless to us the rest of the time,” informed another villager.
When contacted on the situation in his constituency, the legislator lamented the lack of support from the government to better the state of the people in his constituency.
“Time and again I have raised this matter with the present government but despite the grave situation, the matter has not been taken up. Development of the people of my constituency also means the development of the state. It cannot be held on party lines,” said Lazarus.
A woman shop owner in Chokpot Bazaar however had an interesting take on the matter of underdevelopment.
“Our constituency has had the habit or the bad luck of always sending our MLAs to the Opposition. This history has hardly changed and it shows in the lack of importance the state has shown to us,” she said.
