Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 18
For over ten years, the construction of the High Court Complex at Meriema, Kohima has slowed down “drastically” due to “non availability of adequate funding from the state as well as central government,” observed the Annual Administrative Report 2020-21 of Nagaland’s Justice and Law Department.
The report which was tabled in the recent State Assembly session said that multiple correspondence and request letters were sent to different Ministries but till date no funding has been made available. This has led to litigation and complaint from concerned civil societies for which preliminary investigation and findings are under submission for further actions, it informed.
The report stated that as per NPWD SOR 2010, the estimated cost of the entire project amounted to Rs. 161.11 crores. So far, the department had received Rs. 61.71 crore under State Plan till 2017-18 for various site development works and the main Court building.
“However, due to revision of NPWD SOR 2016 and limited funding for the last 10 years contributed to cost overrun and escalated the DPR cost to above Rs. 256 crore (approximately),” it said.
Therefore, the report stated, the 15th Finance Commission has been requested to provide sufficient one time lump sum grant of Rs. 194 crore to complete the remaining works of the project in time and to avoid the risk of further escalation and cost overrun. “This grant of fund if given under special consideration will go long way to accomplish the long cherished needs and longing of the Naga people to have their own separate independent High Court of the State of Nagaland,” the report noted.
Foundation stone for the new High Court Complex at Meriema, Kohima was laid in 2007 by Justice KG Balakrishnan, the then Chief Justice of India.
Site development of the main Court Complex, Administrative Blocks, Chief Justice Complex, Chief Justice Bungalow, Registrar Bungalow, Construction of Protection Walls, Security Fencing and Retaining Walls in and around the complex site, Installation of LT line-transformer, approach and exit road have been completed, according to the report.
