Mizoram Chief Secretary-in-charge Sudhir Kumar, IAS, visited Kolasib district on Saturday to review forest-related issues, major development projects and infrastructure works being implemented in the district.
During the visit, Sudhir Kumar, who also serves as Principal Secretary to the Government of Mizoram for the General Administration Department (GAD) and Environment, Forest and Climate Change (EF&CC), chaired a series of review meetings at the Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Hall in Kolasib. Senior government officials and district authorities attended the meetings.
Addressing officials, the Chief Secretary-in-charge said he was pleased to visit Kolasib district and explained that the visit was aimed at reviewing issues related to forest land management and identifying practical solutions for resolving them.
A review meeting of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was held to assess the progress of its work. During the meeting, various line departments presented status reports on villages and land-related matters.
Officials informed the meeting that 22 villages had been established after 1980, while four villages existed before 1980, taking the total number of villages under review to 26. The meeting also noted that reports from 35 Village Councils were still awaited.
The officials discussed the proposed ground survey for the identified areas. District authorities informed the meeting that additional surveyors had been requested to speed up the exercise, although the ongoing monsoon season could pose certain challenges to field surveys.
The meeting also deliberated on the demarcation of roadside reserve forests and ways to clearly define their boundaries. Officials said the Mizoram Remote Sensing Applications Centre (MIRSAC) and the Revenue Department had already completed geo-tagging of the relevant locations. It was decided that the information would initially be used to resolve issues relating to four villages before extending the exercise further.
Sudhir Kumar directed officials to prepare accurate maps and ensure clear demarcation of boundaries. He also instructed the Forest Department to carry out proper boundary marking within reserved forest areas and prepare detailed maps for future reference.
Later, the Chief Secretary-in-charge chaired another review meeting to assess the progress of major development projects being implemented across Kolasib district.
During the meeting, departments presented updates on ongoing works and highlighted the challenges they were facing. Officials also discussed issues affecting the widening and improvement of the National Highway passing through the district and reviewed measures required to ensure timely completion of the project.
Following the meetings, Sudhir Kumar carried out site inspections of the under-construction four-lane highway project and the new District Civil Hospital building in Kolasib. He also visited the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godown at Rengtekawn and the Solid Waste Management Centre at Dihmuntlang to review the progress of the facilities.
The Chief Secretary-in-charge was accompanied by Secretary (Land Resources, Soil and Water Conservation) Vanlalmawia, Chief Conservator of Forests (Planning) Agni Mitra, Kolasib Deputy Commissioner H. Dolianbuaia, Additional Deputy Commissioner and Competent Authority for Land Acquisition (CALA) B. Malsawmtluangi, National Highways Executive Director Adelbert Susungi, General Manager Binod Kumar Srivastava and other senior officials during the district visit.
