The Sahamphung VB-GRAMG Association has issued a strict 10-day ultimatum to the state authorities, threatening a series of intense public agitations if their long-standing grievances regarding delayed rural development funds and chronic mobile network blackouts are not resolved.
Addressing a press conference at Sentinel College in Phungreitang on Monday, association leaders laid bare the acute hardships faced by residents of the Sahamphung block due to administrative apathy and infrastructural neglect.
Stalled funds, livelihood crisis
Association Chairman Aleng Shaiza slammed the government for the prolonged delay in the release of VB-GRAMG (MGNREGA) funds, stating that the irregular payment system has pushed workers and dependent families to the brink of financial distress.
According to Aleng, material costs and wages under the scheme are disbursed mere once a year or even once every two years in the block. While neighboring blocks like Phungyar, Kamjong, and Kasom Khullen continue to receive their funds smoothly, roughly 10 villages in Sahamphung have seen their funds completely stalled since the 2023–24 fiscal year. The remaining villages, he added, receive disbursements only sporadically.
“Such an irregular payment system creates serious financial difficulties for workers and people dependent on VB-GRAMG activities for their livelihood,” Aleng stated, demanding a regular, timely, and transparent mechanism for wage and material cost disbursements.
Digital isolation
Adding to the economic distress, Secretary Thotrinchan Hungyo highlighted the crippling lack of reliable communication infrastructure in the block. Spanning 24 villages and two hamlets, Sahamphung has endured poor cellular connectivity for over a decade.
The situation has turned critical after the lone Airtel tower at the Pihang Kuki habitation went completely defunct, plunging around 10 villages into a total network blackout. For the rest of the block, only sluggish 2G connectivity is available, despite repeated appeals to upgrade the infrastructure to 4G.
Thotrinchan noted that the erratic network has paralyzed digital services, online education, banking transactions, government portals, and emergency communications. The digital void has even impacted rural employment implementation; due to the lack of connectivity, work site mates are forced to walk up to 7 kilometers just to process National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) attendance.
Authorities given 10 days to act
The association emphasized that despite multiple representations submitted to the concerned departments, the authorities have turned a blind eye to their sufferings.
“The people of Sahamphung Block seek timely action, transparency, and accountability from the concerned authorities,” Thotrinchan warned.
The association concluded with a final warning that if concrete steps are not initiated to release the pending funds and overhaul the cellular network within 10 days, they will mobilize the public and launch aggressive agitations across the region.
