NFHRCC appeals to HM, Minister R&B and Home Secy to stop “unauthorized works”
DIMAPUR, MARCH 11 (MExN): The Nagaland Foot Hill Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) on Tuesday named an MLA of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly as the political figure behind interruption in the construction works of the Foothill Road in the Wokha sector.
The NFHRCC’s decision to publicize the name of the politician was arrived at after a nearly six-hour long meeting with the officials of PWD (Roads & Bridges), led by Chief Engineer D Mero, here today.
DIMAPUR, MARCH 11 (MExN): The Nagaland Foot Hill Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) on Tuesday named an MLA of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly as the political figure behind interruption in the construction works of the Foothill Road in the Wokha sector.
The NFHRCC’s decision to publicize the name of the politician was arrived at after a nearly six-hour long meeting with the officials of PWD (Roads & Bridges), led by Chief Engineer D Mero, here today.
“It is the cardinal principle of the NFHRCC that the Foothill road project will not be politicized in any manner whatsoever. And the same was reaffirmed on July 23, 2013 with the ten Border MLAs.” “However despite of which, unfortunately, the honorable MLA Mhonlumo Kikon is blatantly violating the said resolution. Therefore the Committee is of the view that in the event of the ongoing construction works (in Wokha sector) being jeopardized, the MLA and his group shall be held liable,” the NFHRCC resolved on Tuesday.
It was informed that the Chief Engineer D Mero and contractor P Imty Ao were “pressurized” to sublet the contract works to Class-I contractors of Wokha. A direct consequence of this, NFHRCC officials said, has been the execution of construction works by the Class-I contractors of Wokha without consent from the NFHRCC or work order(s) from the department concerned.
On March 8 last, after a joint meeting between the NFHRCC and representatives of Class-I contractors Union Wokha, NFHRCC had asked the contractors to cease their “unauthorized works” immediately. Reports, however, suggest that the “unauthorized works” continue as of Tuesday evening.
Chief Engineer of PWD (R&B) D Mero said, “as of today the department has not issued any work order or authorized any firm other than M/S Trident Enterprises” to carry out construction works in Wokha sector. M/S Trident Enterprises is owned by contractor P Imty Ao.
Mero also informed that the Department was in receipt of a letter from the Executive Engineer of Baghty division reporting the construction of Foothill Road in Wokha sector “by other contractors.” He assured to act on the report.
On the Committee’s part, it assured the Department officials, as well as contractor P Imty Ao, that “the committee will defuse the pressure from the higher ups.” The NFHRCC has appealed to the Home Minister of Nagaland, the Minister for Roads and Bridges and the Home Secretary to direct the district administration concerned to immediately stop the “unauthorized” construction works.
It also resolved that P Imty Ao alone should finish the fresh-cutting project as agreed upon on January 18 last and that the Committee would not allow any other contractor to take up the same. The NFHRCC will convene a joint meeting of all apex bodies of the ten constituent tribes on March 20. All tribal hohos involved has been requested to depute at least two representatives each to the meeting.
