‘Act within a week or face agitation’

ANCSU warns of protest as REC-funded hostel project remains stalled

Our Correspondent
Kohima | May 8

The All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) has expressed concern over the delay in implementing a Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd (REC)-funded project to build a 100-bed girls’ hostel at Kohima Science College (Autonomous), Jotsoma. 

Speaking at a press conference in Kohima on May 8, ANCSU President Kivika Yeptho noted that despite the approval of Rs 3.52 crore in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding and the release of the first installment of Rs 1.05 crore on April 12, 2023, the project remains stalled. 

“If this issue is not addressed within a week after this press conference, we will issue an ultimatum and we will proceed with agitation,” ANCSU officials warned.

The ANCSU alleged that the Project Implementing Committee, comprising the State Government, IDAN Department, and Higher Education Department had proposed upgrading the hostel to international standards through joint funding. Under the proposal, the State Government was to contribute Rs 2.47 crore, raising the total project cost to Rs 6 crore. However, the union alleged that adequate measures were not taken to ensure timely execution over the past three years.

The proposal for construction of the 100-bedded girls’ hostel was submitted by the IDAN Department to RECL under CSR funding on October 6, 2022 with an estimated cost of Rs 3.5 crore. RECL approved the proposal on March 14, 2023, sanctioning around Rs 3.53 crore, while an MoU was signed on March 23, 2023. The first instalment was later released on April 12, 2023.

A meeting held on April 27, 2023 resolved to execute the project under Engineering, Procurement and Commission (EPC) mode using prefabricated structures for faster completion. Following this, the e-tendering process was initiated and the Notice Inviting Tender was published on August 3, 2023, followed by a corrigendum on August 24, 2023. On October 25, 2023, IDAN Department requested RECL to allow direct implementation of the project while proposing to upscale the hostel into an international standard facility with additional support from the Government of Nagaland.

Subsequently, a contractor nomination proposal was submitted to RECL on February 6, 2024, which later received approval through official communication. During subsequent meetings in 2024, it was observed that the sanctioned amount was insufficient for constructing a prefabricated international standard hostel in the hilly terrain. This resulted in delays, prompting the IDAN Department to seek an 18-month extension from RECL on February 5, 2025. The extension was later granted till February 2026.

In the March 18, 2025 meeting, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by the contractor projected the total construction cost at Rs 6 crore, whereas the CSR-sanctioned amount remained at Rs 3.53 crore. The concerned department therefore sought the remaining Rs 2.47 crore from the Government of Nagaland as the state share. Despite repeated correspondence and follow-ups with RECL, the project could not begin due to insufficient funds and pending approval of the state government’s bridging component.

ANCSU noted that the project is time-bound under RECL-CSR guidelines, with an extended deadline of February 2026.  The REC-CSR donor company has now initiated an official request for refund of the sanctioned amount, it mentioned.

Despite repeated representations and reminders to the concerned departments, State Government, and Higher Education Minister, the union said ‘only assurances were given over the years.’ The matter has now reached a critical stage, with the IDAN Department reportedly preparing to refund the hostel construction funds.

ANCSU stressed that a majority of students at the college are female, while the institution currently has only one girls’ hostel with a 100-bed capacity that has been accommodating students for many years.

While acknowledging the vision of the State Government and concerned departments for an international-standard facility, the union questioned what concrete steps had been taken over three years to begin the project. It maintained that the sanctioned Rs 3.53 crore must be used solely for constructing the girls’ hostel.

ANCSU also claimed that it recently appealed to the Chief Secretary to intervene and request the REC company for a further extension so that the work could commence. However, the union said it was verbally informed by the Chief Secretary’s office that the government was not in a position to convince the company because of the prolonged delay.

The ANCSU president stated that the delay mainly arose due to the decision to upgrade the hostel into an international standard facility, which created a funding gap after the DPR estimated the total cost at Rs 6 crore. Although the IDAN Department had reportedly received verbal assurance regarding the additional Rs 2.47 crore as state share, the State Government later conveyed that it was unable to sanction the amount.

The union also informed that the IDAN Department had requested ANCSU to wait while preparations related to the DPR and other procedures for the upgraded hostel were being carried out.

Reiterating its appealing, ANCSU urged the State Government and concerned department to immediately commence construction of the hostel.