The residents of these villages have blamed the State for turning a deaf ear to their woes. The villagers have also expressed their resentment for lack of proper infrastructure and developmental works in their villages.
The villagers of 65 villages have united under Cheragi-Jamuyang Sadak Unnayan Samiti and in a mass meeting held recently, they decided to merge their area with Mamit district of Mizoram. According to Abhimanyu Singh, the president of Cheragi Jamuyang Sadak Unnayan Samiti, these villages in greater Cheragi area had hardly seen any developmental work even after 63 years of independence.
“The resolution taken during the mass meating was also forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner of Mamit district of Mizoram, ” said secretary Sarful Ali, secretary of the village unnayan samiti. It is pertinent to mention that during the last Assam Assembly election in May 2011, the villagers of the area had boycotted the polls alleging govermment apathy to basic facilities like road connectivity, safe drinking water, electricity, health care and education. The Samiti leaders said that though Assam border Area devolpment Minister Siddique Ahmed is from Barak Valley, he had not visited their villages or tried to alleviate their conditions. The Samiti also alleged that apart from lack of infrastructure, Bru militants from Mizoram area also a cause of their concern.
The 65 vilages have a total population of around 16,000 residents. It is to be mentioned here that the villagers have decided to boycott the panchayat poll 2013 and accordingly they have submitted a memorandum before the Deputy Commissioner, Karimganj recently, but they have withdrawn their decision on the request of the Deputy Commissioner who has assured them to solve all the burning problems gradually.