Morung Express News
Dimapur/Kohima | February 6
Delays in works continue to plague the ongoing Kohima-Mao road project on National Highway-2, with the timeline given to two Short-Term Maintenance Contracts to complete the maintenance and repair works lapsing.
On February 5, the Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench (GHCKB) was informed that while Short-Term Maintenance Contracts were awarded for two stretches of the road, with durations ending on December 29, 2024, and January 28, 2025, respectively, works for both were yet to be completed.
The contract for Stretch-I, awarded on October 25, 2024, covers from Km 185.540 (Lehrie Gate) to Km 194+00 (Kigwama Village) with a 60-day duration up to December 29 and a Defect Liability Period of six months (June 28, 2025).
The Stretch-I, from Km 194+00 (Kigwama Village) to Km 212+334 (Mao Gate), has a contract duration of 90 days ending on January 28 and a Defect Liability Period up to July 27.
However, after examining the February 3 inspection report submitted by the Amicus Curiae in the PIL (Suo Moto), the GHCKB Division Bench, comprising Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak and Justice Kakheto Sema, noted that only 70% of the contract work on the Stretch-I had been completed while progress on the Stretch-II stood at just 62%.
Both contractors noted that “at least another 45 days beyond the deadline would be required for its completion.”
Meanwhile, the counsel representing the Union Road Ministry and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) submitted that only the contractor for Stretch-I had submitted a representation for an extension of the Maintenance and Repair work and is under “active consideration.”
Accordingly, the Court directed the counsel to place on record whether the extension of time, as sought by the contractor, has been granted, as well as the up-to-date status report on the Stretch-II, by February 12.
It must be noted that the contract between the NHIDCL and the EPC contractor "stands terminated w.e.f. 18/09/2024," as per the Court’s order dated October 23. Consequently, the two short-term maintenance contracts were awarded.
The Court had earlier asked for steps the agency proposed to take to complete the remaining portion of the project. Accordingly, on December 4, 2024, an affidavit submitted by NHIDCL authorities noted that the “assessment of the balance work for the entire stretch can only be accurately determined after completion of the above two contracts post-28.01.2025.”
However, with the deadline lapsing, the project may be delayed further.
As per the Court’s records, the project's contract agreement was signed on October 7, 2020, with construction set to commence on October 20, 2020, and completion targeted for April 22, 2022.
Due to delays in starting the groundwork, however, the Court took up the matter as a PIL (Suo Moto) on April 2, 2022.
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