Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has criticized the August 16 statement of minister for Road & Bridges (R&B) Kuzholuzo (Azo) Neinu attributing the cause of deteriorating road conditions in the state to nature or monsoon.
NPCC media cell said the statement portrayed the confused mind of the minister when it came to addressing the challenge of deplorable road conditions across the state.
NPCC also reminded that Azo after taking charge of the department in March 2013 had toured the state and promised improvement of road conditions within 3-4 months which has now been extended to 3-4 years.
It said the conditions of the roads have deteriorated at an alarming pace during the past decade of NPF-led DAN government with no signs of improvement.
On the assertion that Nagaland was a victim of SARDP-NE project, the minister was trying to evade the truth behind the abandonment of road widening project by M/s Gayatri-Maytas JV firm, said NPCC.
It may be recalled that the central government had floated a global tender to undertake two-laning of Chakhabama-Zunheboto (118 km), Pfutsero-Phek (74 km), Mon-Tamlu-Merangkong (105 km) and Changtongya-Longleng (32 km) amounting to Rs. 1296 cr. Work was allotted to Gayatri-Maytas JV on successful bidding and the state PWD (R&B) department was made the implementing agency.
NPCC said the mischief of the R&B department was evident when it allowed the contracting firm to haphazardly start mass excavation of soil at different locations without adhering to DPR guidelines under its supervision.
The state government had released a total of Rs .540 crore to Gayatri-Maytas JV even without a single km stretch of road being completed.
Moreover, when the formation cutting was yet to be completed, the state government prepared a revised estimate of Rs. 2978.20 crore which was two and half times over the original approved amount of Rs. 1296 crore, said NPCC.
NPCC pointed out that this abnormal increase of revised estimate had sounded alarm bells in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
Since enquiry was ordered into this abnormal increase, all payments were stopped and the contractor abandoned the works leaving the people of four districts to face the brunt of deplorable road conditions arising out of haphazard excavation for the past two monsoons.
NPCC said if the minister was really serious, he should pull up the Gayatri-Maytas JV firm and fix responsibility for abandoning road widening works, so that the real truth which led to abandonment of works will be unearthed.
“The minister asking the Centre for handing over of SARDP-NE road projects to the state makes a mockery of himself, since the state government is unable to even maintain the existing roads”, said NPCC.
Stating that the people had enough of the R&B minister’s rhetoric, NPCC said simply lining up road projects for Dimapur to make development “visible” by plastering its roads would not change the pathetic road infrastructure across the state.
“The minister cannot cover up the misdeeds of the NPF-led DAN government who have been ruling the state for the past decade by shifting blame on incessant rains and the centre for providing meager funds for roads maintenance besides sending Gayatri-Maytas JV to execute SARDP-NE project,” said NPCC.
Accord serious attention to road development: NSF
Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has urged the NPF-led DAN government to accord serious attention to road development.
In a statement, NSF president Tongpang Ozukum and general secretary Esther Rhakho said NSF had submitted a representation to the commissioner & secretary W&H on Monday and voiced out the “untold hardship and inconveniences” faced by the public owing to the deplorable road conditions.
“Roads, like any piece of real estate, are an asset. However, most of the roads in Nagaland are overused and poorly maintained,” said NSF adding that during monsoon, almost all the districts in the state faced untold hardship and difficulties due to landslides and erosion.
People could not blame the department for inconveniences caused by natural calamity, however, NSF said responsible department should own moral responsibility as it was a consequence of “non-compliance to technical specifications, inferior quality of materials used for construction and poor maintenance and utter negligence on the part of the government and the department.”
NSF said was high time the government and the department gave importance and seriousness for the development of roads sustainable for all seasons and also come out with a comprehensive policy to be strictly followed by the department officials as well as the contractors.
NSF also acknowledged the sincere effort and promises made by minister of road & bridges and the department to deliver quality road to the Nagas within three years.
The federation also urged the landowners not to be a stumbling block in the course of development and asked them to extend help to bring changes in Naga society.
NSF said it would begin monitoring on the proposed projects and schemes for road construction and maintenance and also seriously check on the workmanship of the contractors and quality of materials being used for the construction of roads.
Leave a Reply