MANGSANG, June 15: The sole government office in the small village of Mangsang in East Garo Hills (EGH) is literally on the verge of collapse with at least 2 of the 3 rooms on the entire compound not even in a state where animals can be sheltered.
The matter was brought out during a visit to the village along with two local CSOs, the FKJGP and GSU who expressed anger and disgust at the way the department and by extension, the state government have allowed the dilapidation without anyone even keeping the safety of employees of the office.
The office, locals said, was made eons ago, has never seen repairs and judging by the condition in which it is presently, will never be.
The Mangsang PHE office falls under the Rongjeng sub-division and has, as per local estimates, at least 12 muster roll workers who are supposed to look after JJM and normal PHE project sites. As is required, some have to be present at the office at all nights, meaning employees have to even sleep within the compound. “All parts of the building (Assam type) is in an absolute mess. Two rooms cannot be used at all as there are no doors, windows or even walls to speak of. Only one room, the first of the lot remains habitable to an extent though its roof leaks and is impossible to use during the rains. It is so sad to see PHE employees, who have to remain guard, braving the elements while being huddled in one corner. The situation is absolutely pitiful,” felt GSU president of the regional unit, Barnawel Sangma.
Some of the employees who were present narrated their plight and how difficult it was in some of the worst working conditions in the entire country.
The visit showed almost the entire false ceiling literally on the ground with windows and doors completely missing. Nothing could be stored on-site within the office – especially perishable items and office documents. They confirmed that this was not a new development but one that, at least all district PHE officials were aware of. “Believe me, even animals would refrain from taking rest here because most of what was there earlier is now gone. This is the only government office that we have in our area and covers some really critical places. We can only hang our heads in shame when we think of the situation. The government really needs a rethink on this matter,” felt FKJGP president, George Sangma.
They added that the building’s situation was not new by any chance. There have been numerous instances of cyclonic storms that began the damage. What, they believe led to the current dilapidated building is the continued lack of repair which has continued since it was set up eons ago.
“The department has a responsibility to the welfare of its employees as well as its infrastructure. In the case of our PHE office, it has miserably failed on both counts,” felt Barnawel.
