Dimapur, Nov 24 (MExN): In a follow-up to its poster campaign demanding release of all pending liabilities due from the state government, the Nagaland Contractors & Suppliers Union has now decided that its agitation would continue indefinitely till fulfillment of the demand. This decision was taken at a meeting of executive, advisory, legal and action committee members held November 24 in Kohima.
The union, apart from deciding to agitate for an indefinite period, also resolved to uphold its earlier resolution for total release of pending liabilities. Further in a partial modification of the earlier scheduled phase-wise agitation dateline, the union agreed that the poster campaign would continue till November 28 while the second phase in the form of a vehicle procession would be on the 29th.
The procession would be held at Kohima for which all NCSU members are directed to assemble by November 28 with twenty vehicles from each unit. An NCSU press release appended by its President Pele Khezhie and General Secretary Moa Emchen appealed to all its units as well as the public to continue to extend support and cooperation till the demands are met by the government.
It may be recalled that the contractors had served an ultimatum to the Government of Nagaland to release all pending liabilities due to the union by November 17. Failure in meeting the demand would force the union to resume its phase-wise agitation which was kept in abeyances since February 2006.
The NCSU has been requesting the government to release pending liabilities since February 2006 submitting various representations stating its grievances. Subsequently during a meeting held between NCSU officials and the Chief Minister on September 8, the union was asked to scrutinize the remaining bills and was also verbally assured that the pending bills would be released at the earliest. Basing on the assurance, the NCSU undertook verification of all relevant documents for almost two months.
Finally, the verification showed the liabilities amounting to Rs 9, 96, 86,200 which was then submitted to the government requesting the release of the aforementioned amount. However, the government is still yet to respond.
The NCSU headquarter Kohima had held a general meeting on November 10, where an agendum of the non-release of payment was discussed. It had decided that an ultimatum with a dateline of November 17, be forwarded to the government. Failure would mean the union shall resume its phase-wise agitation which was kept in abeyance since February 2006. However, if the government responded ‘befittingly’ in the form of a written assurance to the demand, the proposed agitation would be kept in abeyance. The union even stated that it is much to its dislike to agitate against the government but the NCSU was compelled to launch its agitation otherwise “our proposed agitation is self-invited by the government itself”.
The union had also warned that in the process of agitation, the union would not be held responsible for any consequences that might arise. It had forwarded the ultimatum to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio “with great hope”. The state government, meanwhile, continues to maintain it’s now famous silence.
