Peren, August 4 (MExN): The New Puilwa Village Council (NPVC) has revealed how a private firm was sanctioned funds by the Government for roads that were left unconstructed.
The NPVC has stated this in a press release from its Chairman and VCM-cum-Chairman VEC after they received a reply to their RTI application from the PIO and Additional Chief Engineer PWD (R&B), Government of Nagaland on July 12 last.
Asking for clarification from the authority concerned, the NPVC laid out the facts of the “negligence” in respect of the phase-wise construction work carried out as per the work order allotted to one M/s Jordan Construction from 2009 to 2016.
The NPVC explained that the Phase-I construction of a 15km stretch of road from Kohima- Leikie Junction to Old Puilwa Village in Peren District under Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) was allotted to M/s Jordan Constriction by Chief Engineer, PWD (R&B), Nagaland, Vide order no: CE/R&B/ NIT/NLCPR1 2009-10 on December 2, 2009. The terms and conditions stated that the work should be completed within 18 months.
However, the said road construction work is “still incomplete” and out of 53 Hume Pipe New Culverts required as per the Detailed Project Report, only 28 Culverts were made, revealed the NPVC. Despite this fact, the total amount for the Phase-I work was shown to have been “withdrawn.”
In the Phase-II, work was again allotted to the same firm for construction of road from Kohima-Leikie Junction to Tepuiki (Barak) 10 Km (MDR) under NLCPR, Vide order no: CE (R&B)/TEVNLCPR/THPU-Barak/2010-11/189-195/391 on April 4, 2011.
According to the NPVC, only 60% of this construction work has been completed by Jordan Construction, “ignoring the terms and conditions laid down by the authority” but the “entire total amount” has been withdrawn nonetheless.
In the Phase-III M/C Jordan Construction was once again allotted construction of road from Kohima-Leikie junction to Tepuiki (Barak) 15km under NLCPR, Vide order no: CE/(R&B)/TIINLCP/ LEG-III/ 2012-13/ on January 11, 2013 on the terms and conditions that the work should be completed within 24 months, informed the NPVC as per the RTI response. The technical sanction amount for the phase was Rs. 1911.48 lakh and the withdrawn amount for the phase was Rs. 1461.03 lakh.
Besides these discrepancies, the New Puilwa Village Council stated that all natural resource like stone/rock were given “free of cost” by the village council to M/s Jordan Construction “believing that they will give their best for the people but in return the Jordan construction have utterly shattered the long dreamt of the people.”
Based on these facts and findings has sought an open from the authority concerned “as to who has given the work completion certificates of the Phase I & II of the road construction to the M/S Jordan Construction without physically ascertaining the project?”
The Council also warned that if the project is not completed according to the specification of the work allotted, then “the concern authority/department issuing the completion certificates shall be held responsible to any untoward incidence.”
The NPVC urged the department concerned to take “necessary action and not to release any pending bill/bills, earnest money and security deposit physically verifying construction site,” as well as clarifying the queries of the Village Council.
