Dimapur, July 31 (MExN): The Congress legislature Party has not forgotten the “abandoning of road widening works” on the existing four roads, Chakabama-Zunheboto, Pfutsero-Phek, Mon-Tamlu-Merangkong, Changtongya-Lonleng by dubious contractor M/s. Gayatri –Maytas JV. The events have brought untold miseries to the public especially for travelers going to Zunheboto and Longleng district, Congress Legislature Party Leader Tokheho Yepthomi stated today.
“The abandonment of works halfway has brought into focus as to who is responsible, the dept or the contractor. The submission of the exorbitant revised estimate by the dept to the central ministry of Road Transport & Highways has sounded alarm bells in the ministry and this action speaks of the state govt’s inefficiency or an action in collaborating with the contractor to siphon off more amount of money while stalling the project on frivolous grounds,” the CLP chief stated in a press release received here today. The project was sanctioned by the central government for the state of Nagaland under the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme (SARDP) amounting to 1296 Crores.
The Congress has demanded clarifications from the government on a number of details. These include comparative estimate with regards to road construction in other hilly regions of the country; reasons for the contractor abandoning work halfway even before the excavation work was completed, withdrawal of entire machineries from work sites and the state while disposing some of them at throwaway prices; reason for the exorbitant revised estimate when not a single kilometer has been completed and the road excavation was on an existing road and not a new cutting/ excavation;
Further the CLP has demanded details on the terms of agreement between the State government and the contractor while handing over the road to the contractor. The contractor was supposed to be responsible for excavation and maintenance of the entire stretch of road till it is completed and handed over back to the State.
“The dept should fix responsibility on the erring officials responsible for creating this mess and recall the contractor to start works on war footing in clearing and maintaining the roads presently left in deplorable condition. The overall road condition in the state reflects the tall claims of NPF led DAN government during the past nine years of its misrule,” Yepthomi stated.
