The serious allegation leveled against the present government by the Congress Legislative Party Leader and Leader of Opposition Tokheho Yepthomi that rampant issue of land pattas along NH-29 has taken place, is not surprising at all. The CLP Leader went as far as to state that the recent spot verification drive for the proposed four laning of National Highway 29 between Dimapur and Kohima by the state government was “a farcical exercise to hoodwink the people with an eye on coming assembly elections. He also alleged that the NPF led DAN govt had unscrupulously scuttled the project for the past nine years on one pretext or the other thereby ensuring that the project never takes off. The government of the day must be given an opportunity to give its side of the story before any judgment can be made on the allegation. However it is generally observed that development projects in Nagaland rarely take off in a smooth manner and this is a worrying sign of the system of government we have in place—corruption, red-tapism, political interference and bending of rules. Over the years it has been seen that development projects that would have made a big boost to our State have failed to see the light of day—Four laning of NH-29, Airport at Chaitu, Dimapur-Zubza railway line to name only a few.
It’s now close to ten years and the big talk 4 laning of NH 29 from Dimapur to Kohima is still without clear purpose and direction literally. Initially the route was supposed to be through Purana Bazaar but now it is being changed. Even this new route, according to the CLP Leader’s statement is being opposed by some “political leaders with vested interest”. Whose failure is it that this prestigious and vital road project remains grounded? The government must tell the truth. In fact the people of Nagaland are losing out on a future prospect. We often complain that Delhi is not doing anything with regard to its ambitious Look East Policy. But Nagaland must realize that having a well build 4-lane superhighway (NH-29) is a vital component of linking up with Southeast Asia. Such kind of development project where benefits will accrue for generations to come just cannot be allowed to be stalled. This should be treated as a serious matter requiring urgent remedial measures. With Assembly Election early next year we have our doubts whether this vital road link to SE Asia can be taken up. But obviously there is a strong case for such development projects to be fast tracked.
The problem in Nagaland seems to be that there is too much of political discretion. The law is there to be bend—to suit one’s personal interest and to contribute towards one’s own self enrichment. It is not just milking commissions out of such mega projects but our politicians look at such projects to cater to their political constituency or vote bank. True we often blame land ownership issue and high compensation as major obstacles in taking up any major developmental projects in Nagaland. However this is not the only dampener. The corruption and our greed for more money is perhaps the root cause of all the evil we see. The overall development of our State should not be held hostage to our greed. We should vote for a government that gives us specific assurance (not vague promises) and concrete proposal to fast track some of the pending development projects especially the ones related to our infrastructure. Let us stop listening to empty slogans and false hopes. We need to elect a government or an MLA that delivers the goods and not to take it away for their own benefits.
