DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 17 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today stated that “greed and step motherly treatment has failed” the SARDP Roads in Nagaland.
A press note from the NPCC media cell pointed out that roads taken up under SARDP are the most important roads covering the district HQs of Mon, Longleng, Zunheboto and Phek.
“As projected in the local newspapers, we were under the impression that the Contractor (Gaytri and Maytas JV) was responsible for the delay and suffering of the people,” the NPCC said. It however claimed that “on verification, it is found that the greed of the NPF and step-motherly treatment of GOI has failed the SARDP Roads in Nagaland.”
The NPCC alleged that “it was rumoured before 2013 General Election that NPF has demanded a huge commission from the Contractors, assuring that they would revise the estimate.” “When the revised estimate with a rise of over 200% was submitted to GOI, it is confirmed, that the Secretary Transport, Government of India, Vijay Chibber, IAS, ordered the cancellation of the project, in 2013,” it added. The NPCC informed that a PIL was filed in the Gauhati High Court (GHC), following which the court found in “favour of the work and directed the contractors to start work immediately on 13/10/2013.” However, it stated that the NDA Government filed a Special Leave Petition in the Division Bench of the GHC. “The GHC appointed a Commission to verify,” it added.
The NPCC further pointed out that on 11/8/2015, the Transport Secretary “issued order of cancellation of the Work Orders. Again, the Honourable GHC Division bench dismissed the SLP on 27/07/2016 in favour of the work.”
The NPCC said that the NPF and the BJP from Nagaland “could not prevail upon the Government of India from filing the SLP in the Supreme Court.” “So, the case was heard on 7th Oct 2016. The Honourable Supreme Court in a ruling is said to have appointed a Commission to further verify,” it said.
Revision of estimate would not have been necessary had the contractors been given time to work without disturbances, it stated, while opining that “it was greed that has brought the idea of revision of estimate.”
The NPCC further said that the Transport Secretary should have at least ordered verification of the work and revised estimate and could have corrected the revised estimate “but instead, he straight away ordered in file to cancel the work order.” The NPCC stated that unless the Government of India “changes its attitude, the case will go on for years while people of four districts will continue to suffer without pliable roads.”
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