Online petition to appoint doctors, staff at a rural health centre in Mizoram

Paritosh Chakma

Merinews.com

THE MIZORAM Chakma Development Forum (MCDF), a social organization working for the development of rural areas in Mizoram, has launched an online petition at www.change.org to get a rural primary health centre (PHC) start functioning. This particular PHC at Borapansury village, near India-Bangladesh border, within CADC in Lawngtlai district of Mizoram has been defunct for the last 20 years, it is said.

The online petition calls upon the Minister of Health and Family Welfare of Mizoram, Lalrinliana Sailo to immediately appoint doctors and staff at this rural primary heath centre. Recently, Mr Sailo had confirmed in the Mizoram Assembly that no doctor is posted at Borapansury PHC but he failed to initiate any further action on this.

Many people, mostly the poorest who cannot go to towns to receive medical care, die in this area each year due to lack of basic healthcare facilities. If functional with doctors, staff and medicines, the Borapansury PHC can cater to a neighbourhood of 17 villages having a combined population of more than 12,000 tribal people, MCDF’s petition claims.

The online petition,launched on Friday, quickly received 42 signatures. The petition is available at https://www.change.org/en-IN/petitions/health-minister-mizoram-appoint-doctors-and-staff-at-borapunsary-phc

Online campaign to appoint doctors, staff at Borapansury PHC in Mizoram

The Mizoram Chakma Development Forum (MCDF) has launched an online petition to make the Primary Health Centre at Borapansury village in Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC), Lawngtlai district in southern Mizoram functional. MCDF said, this PHC has been lying non-functional for the last 20 years and officials or politicians are not bothered about it. Only poor people who cannot go for medical treatment in towns are suffering and a lot of people die every year due to lack of medical facilities. 

Please support this campaign and sign the petition: https://www.change.org/en-IN/petitions/health-minister-mizoram-appoint-doctors-and-staff-at-borapunsary-phc

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"The lone Primary Health Centre in the entire Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) in southern Mizoram is lying non-functional for the last 20 years without officials or politicians being bothered about it. The said PHC is located at Borapansury, a border town situated on the India-Bangladesh border, under CADC in Lawngtlai district of Mizoram.

In the entire Chakma Autonomous District Council, created under 6th schedule to the Constitution of India in 1972, there is only one Community Health Centre located at headquarter Kamala Nagar and one defunct PHC at Borapansury.

Recently, Mizoram’s Minister of Health and Family Welfare Lalrinliana Sailo confirmed in the Mizoram Assembly House that no doctor is posted at Borapansury Primary Health Centre. However, he failed to initiate any further action on this.

In the name of Primary Health Centre, all we have is an empty building.

Many people, mostly the poorest, die in this area of CADC each year due to lack of basic healthcare facilities. If functional with doctors, staff and medicines, the Borapansury PHC can cater to neighbourhood 17 villages having a combined population of more than 12,000 tribal people.

So, Mizoram Chakma Development Forum (MCDF), on behalf of the local population, is calling onMizoram Health Minister Pu Lalriana Sailo to appoint doctors and staff in Borapunsary Public Health Centre. 

Please Sign and Share this petition with your friends."

A primary health centre in Mizoram is an empty building

By Paritosh Chakma

THE LONE Primary Health Centre in the entire Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) in southern Mizoram is lying non-functional for the last 20 years without officials or politicians being bothered about it. The said PHC is located at Borapansury, a border town situated on the India-Bangladesh border, under CADC in Lawngtlai district of Mizoram.

In the entire Chakma Autonomous District Council, created under 6th schedule to the Constitution of India in 1972, there is only one Community Health Centre located at headquarter Kamala Nagar and one defunct PHC at Borapansury, apart from a number of health sub centres to cater to a population of over 40,000.

A villager from Borapansury told this citizen journalist that the first PHC building was constructed two decades ago, but the PHC was never operationalized. Instead of being a health centre, it was used as shelter by cows and other animals until it dilapidated. A new building was constructed sometime in 2010. Staff quarters have been built alongside the PHC building. Yet, no doctor or staff has been posted as of date. There is also no medicine.

Recently, Mizoram’s Minister of Health and Family Welfare Lalrinliana Sailo confirmed in the Mizoram Assembly House that no doctor is posted at Borapansury Primary Health Centre. However, he failed to mention that just an empty building is continuing to exist as Primary Health Centre on official papers.

“In the name of Primary Health Centre, all we have is an empty building,” lamented a local while speaking to this citizen journalist on the phone.

Many people, mostly the poorest, die in this area of CADC each year due to lack of basic healthcare facilities.

Now, a social organization Mizoram Chakma Development Forum (MCDF) has said, it will launch a campaign to make the Borapansury PHC functional as soon as possible. On its Facebook page, it has already announced, “MCDF will adopt a well-devised strategy to make the PHC functioning with staff, doctors and medicines and other facilities which is extremely important for the poor people in the area.”

Published in Merinews.com

Corruption in Chakma Council: Mizoram Governor orders investigation

By Paritosh Chakma

TAKING SERIOUS note of the allegations of the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) regarding alleged destruction of evidence by the Congress-ruled Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) in southern Mizoram, Governor of Mizoram, Shri Vakkom Purushothaman has ordered a time-bound investigation by the Deputy Commissioner of Lawngtlai district to be completed within one month.

The MNF has alleged that the crucial papers that could have nailed high level political corruption in awarding of compensation in India-Bangladesh border fencing were destroyed under the directives and consent of the incumbent Chief Executive Member of the Council Mr Kali Kumar Tongchangya in order to save themselves from CBI’s inquiry.

In the morning of 25 June 2012, Mr Zoramthanga, MNF chief, met the Mizoram Governor and sought the dissolution of the CADC’s Congress government and arrest of all Members of Executive Committee of the Chakma District Council alleging that all papers, files, registers, receipt books etc bearing correspondences of land passes issued from the year 1972 to 2005 were destroyed following an order by Mr Tongchangya, the incumbent chief of CADC.

In his defence, the Chakma District Council chief has issued a statement denying all allegations. 

However, the allegations are so serious that the Mizoram Governor acted almost immediately. In his letter No. F. 23015/58/2009-GS dated 25th June 2012, a copy of which is with this citizen journalist , addressed to B Lalhmingthanga, the Deputy Commissioner of Lawngtlai, the Secretary to the Governor writes, “His Excellency, Shri Vakkom Purushothaman, Governor of Mizoram has received a complaint from Pu Zoramthanga, President, MNF, bringing to his knowledge irregularities in the Chakma Autonomous District Council regarding destruction of records pertaining to compensation for construction of Indo-Bangladesh Border Fencing. His Excellency desires that an enquiry be conducted immediately by you and a report is submitted within a month.”

It is important to mention here that the CBI in its preliminary enquiry has found prima facie evidence against sitting Members of District Council, including Executive Members, officials of CADC and their relatives. It registered a case No. RCSHG2010A00007 dt 30/12/2010 u/s 120-B, 420, 468, 471 IPC and Sec 13(2) r/w Sec 13(1) (c) & (d) of P.C. Act, 1988 and started investigating in December 2010.

The CBI preliminary enquiry report has made explosive revelations against sitting Executive Members of the CADC. For example, at Page 3 (I) of the CBI report it is mentioned thus,

“Enquiry further reveals that apart from above fake claim by different persons, the family members of the Executive Members of Chakma Autonomous District council and Officials are getting compensation against fake land pass certificates even though they do not have land over the affected areas.”

This is a case seen by many as acid test for CBI’s impartiality and effectiveness in dealing with cases of high level political corruption in one of the three Autonomous District Councils in Mizoram, which enjoys autonomy under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India.

Published in Merinews.com