Kohima: Nagaland PWD minister Tongpang Ozükum on Monday virtually laid the foundation stone for the construction of a Naga patient house in Vellore at the chief engineer’s conference hall at Kohima.
Tongpang Ozükum said for many years the Naga community in Chennai and patients who visits Vellore for treatment were seeking for a decent accommodation. “They have even written to the government on several occasions. Therefore, realizing the necessity and importance to have such an infrastructure, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio wrote a letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to apprise him of the issue,” he said.
The Chief Minister also meet Chief Minister Stalin who promptly responded to the request and allotted a plot of land in Vellore for the construction of the Naga patient house.
In August this year, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, while addressing the 76th Independence Day, informed that a plot measuring 10,000 square feet near CMC Vellore had been allotted to the state government free of cost by the Tamil Nadu government.
He acknowledged the Tamil Nadu government for making the dream of the Naga people a reality.
On February 1 this year, representatives of CMC Connect, comprising naga patients of CMC Vellore and their representatives, met Rio and Ozükum and requested for setting up a rest or guest house at Vellore to help solve problems faced by Nagas.
It was brought to the notice of the state government that over 100 patients from Nagaland are referred to CMC Vellore from government hospitals every year. The patients visiting CMC Vellore face great difficulty in getting decent, affordable, and secure accommodation.
Besides, the patients have to face problems due to the long waiting period to get appointments because of the volume of patients (over 9000 OPD patients/day), and also due to the language barrier.
Taking note of the problem faced by Naga patients, Rio had written to CM Stalin requesting for allotment of land at Vellore for the purpose of setting up a guest house for patients from Nagaland. On February 14, PWD minister Ozükum along with officials from Nagaland PWD followed up on the matter.
On June 20, the Tamil Nadu government offered 10.000 sqft area at S.No. 163, Arabakkam Village, Wallaja Taluk, Ranipet District, which is 12 km away from old CMC Vellore and 3 km away from new CMC Vellore.
Subsequently, on August 25, the District Collector of Ranipet District, Tamil Nadu handed over the land documents to the Nagaland government represented by the Executive Engineer PWD(H), Estate Division.
The land documents included land delivery certificate, land transfer order No.CI/1954/2022 dated 13/07/22, Mutation, Grama Natham, field measurement book and report of land alienated to Nagaland Government.
To symbolise the handing over of the plot, five tree saplings were planted along the boundary (East Side) namely Pungan, Naval, Neermathi, and Eluppai.
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The department informed that the proposed project aims to provide accommodation at minimal cost to Naga patients seeking medical treatment at CMC Vellore. The proposed building is designed with amenities, including 25 guest rooms attached with kitchen and bath; two dormitories; basement parking; multipurpose hall with 150-person capacity; canteen and dining Hall for 30-person capacity; one office and quarter for caretaker; lobby/reception area; differently-abled friendly features; and security guard room.
The detailed project report (DPR) for the project is under progress. Earlier, Nagaland CM Rio had assured that work for the Naga patients home in Vellore would begin this year.
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