[ Bengia Ajum ]
NYELAM, 13 Feb: The construction of the Neelam Tebi war memorial here is picking up pace.
On Saturday, a team of officials from the cultural affairs department (funding agency), the Hydro Power Development Corporation of Arunachal Pradesh Limited or HPDCAPL (implementing agency), and members of the Neelam Welfare Society visited the site here in Deed circle of Keyi Panyor district, and reviewed the progress of the project.
During the visit, it was found that the soling of the approach road, along with the construction of drainage, protection works, and external electrification has been completed. The structural work on the 15 mtr tall cenotaph is also completed, and the finishing works will commence soon.
Work for other structures, like the museum, parking, cafeteria, landscaping, etc, will start soon.
Talking to the media, HPDCAPL CMD Toko Onuj said that this kind of visit will be conducted regularly.
“We are constantly monitoring the work, so that the work is completed on time. We are working with the target of completing the project before the end of this year,” said Onuj.
Cultural Affairs Secretary Tai Kaye, along with OSD to GoAP Lt Col TC Tayum, HPDCAPL officials, members of the Neelam Welfare Society, and local stakeholders were all part of the visiting team.
Expressing satisfaction over the work’s progress, the visiting team urged the site engineers to execute the project without any time overruns.
During the 1962 Sino-India war, Neelam Tebi, of Nyelam village, made the supreme sacrifice for the country while defending the territorial integrity of India.
Tebi, a jawan of the 5 Assam Rifles, was killed in action in the Kameng sector on 20 October, 1962, as part of ‘Operation Bumla’ during the Chinese aggression. For a long time, his sacrifice was not known to the people of the state.
The state government has sanctioned Rs 5 crore in the first phase for the construction of the memorial, which will come up in an area of approximately 45,000 square metres. The land for the construction of the memorial has been donated by the people of Nyelam village.
The scope of work includes an approach road, an entry gate, a martyr cenotaph, a martyr wall, a museum-cum-armoury hall, a cafeteria, multiple viewpoints, an artificial pond with fountains, a walkway bridge, a parking area, Tebi’s statue, and landscaping, among other things.
