Objects to CM’s 1-week deadline notice to Wakching VCs
Dimapur, September 30 (MExN): The Government of Nagaland and the NHIDCL have turned a deaf ear to the request of the public of Wakching area with regard to the proposed diversion of Merangkong-Tamlu-Mon road under SARDP-NE, the elected representative from the constituency YM Yollow Konyak has alleged.
It is disheartening to witness that despite so many petitions, both have neglected the issue, said Konyak, who represents 42 Wakching A/C in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, in a press release.
He also expressed his surprise and raised objection that the Chief Minister gave “just one-week time to Wakching Area Village Councils to make a final decision and submit the same in written to the government.”
The length of the said highway, under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme or North East (SARDP-NE) under National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), is 100 km of which 37 km stretch of land belong to Wakching alone, the Naga People’s Front MLA said.
However, a new alignment was prepared by the RITES Limited “without the consultation of the stakeholders excluded Wakching town where 90% of earth work is already completed by the Maytas & Gayatri firm in 2011-12,” he alleged.
When the public objected to the realignment, the firm and the NHIDCL explained that Wakching portion do not fulfill the highway criteria as the gradient was high. But the Maytas & Gayatri had no problem with the gradient during the alignment, survey and earth cutting, he added.
The area public has been suffering for 7 long years because of the damaged road by the earth work in 2011-12 but never “complained as they hoped that the project would continue,” Konyak further highlighted.
In this connection, the MLA pointed out that the public of Wakching area has strongly objected to the proposed realignment and held three rounds of meeting with the government and the NHIDCL.
A public memorandum was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner Mon on July 9, he said.
Consequently, a meeting was called to the stake holders by the Chief Secretary on August 28 and finally by the Chief Minister on September 27.
“In every meeting, the NHIDCL turned down the plea of the Wakching Area public for retaining the old alignment stating that the realignment was done by the RITES Firm due to the high gradient in Wakching portion,” Konyak noted.
In a democratic country, the government should not force the public to surrender their will but instead should try to understand and analyze the problem, he further argued. In this regard, Konyak said that the government should instruct the concerned department to immediately check on the gradient of the road since the reason for realignment was due to high gradient according to the NHIDCL and the Rites Firm.
“The state government and the NHIDCL may make the final call based on the technical report of the gradient submitted by the department,” he added.
Further the MLA informed since the proposed new alignment road runs through heavily plantation area with lots of valuable trees, wild fruits, tea, cardamom and palm leave, the owners have to be compensated accordingly.
