Maku Village Cracks the Whip: 48-hour total bandh threatened over abandoned road and health centre projects

Special Correspondent
Ukhrul, June 1: 
The Maku Village Authority has issued a stern warning to the Government of Manipur and concerned departments, announcing a 48-hour total bandh from midnight of June 5 to midnight of June 7 if immediate action is not taken to revive two key development projects allegedly abandoned midway in the village.
In a statement jointly signed by Headman A.S. Eleazer Zimik and Maku Development Council Chairman Aleng Shaiza, the Authority expressed deep disappointment and outrage over what it described as “blatant inaction and administrative apathy” by the Manipur State Rural Development Agency (MSRRDA), the Rural Engineering Department (RED), and the Engineering Cell (Hill-I) of the Health and Family Welfare Department.
The Authority alleged serious violations of guidelines under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and PM-ABHIM schemes, accusing contractors and officials of failing to deliver critical infrastructure despite the release of substantial public funds.
At the centre of the controversy is the 8-km PMGSY road project connecting TO2/BRTF Road to Maku village under Package No. MN-KMJ (A) MN09153 Phase-XI. Awarded to M/s HVS Construction Materials Pvt. Ltd. at a cost of Rs. 334.69 lakh, along with Rs. 46.02 lakh earmarked for five years of maintenance, the project was scheduled for completion between October 2018 and April 2020.
According to the Authority, several key components, including retaining walls, breast walls, and drainage systems, were either left incomplete or executed below prescribed standards. It alleged that blacktopping commenced only in March 2024—almost four years after the deadline—and that the contractor abandoned the site in May 2025 after carrying out only partial work.
The Authority further revealed that a formal complaint submitted to the Chief Engineer, RED/MSRRDA, on October 30, 2025, seeking inspection of the allegedly substandard work, has received no response. “Nine months have passed, yet no official has visited the site. The road remains incomplete and unsafe,” the statement said.
Equally alarming, the Authority pointed to the stalled construction of a Building-less Sub-Health Centre under PM-ABHIM, valued at over Rs. 50 lakh. The project, awarded to M/s Kshetrimayum, reportedly came to a standstill in October 2025, depriving villagers of essential healthcare infrastructure.
Demanding accountability, the Maku Village Authority has set a 15-day deadline earlier for the immediate resumption of both projects and initiation of action against the concerned contractors and officials. Failing that, it warned that the proposed 48-hour bandh would be enforced across the area.
The Authority asserted that continued neglect of development projects in hill districts reflects a broader pattern of administrative indifference toward marginalized communities and called for urgent intervention, transparency, and justice for the people of Maku.