DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 14 (MExN): Congress Legislative Party Leader and Leader of Opposition Tokheho Yepthomi has come out with serious claims that the recent spot verification drive for the proposed four laning of National Highway 29 between Dimapur and Kohima by the state government was “a farcical exercise to hoodwink the people with an eye on coming assembly elections, since the NPF led DAN govt had unscrupulously scuttled the project for the past nine years on one pretext or the other thereby ensuring that the project never takes off”.
In this regard, the Opposition Congress claimed that the NPF led DAN govt rampantly issued land pattas on both side of the road for the past nine years and as such demanded that the govt officials responsible for random issue of land pattas along the stretch from Purana bazaar to Chumukedima be made accountable for their illegal actions and that the state govt enforces the rule of law to the extent of demolishing all structures constructed outside the permissible limit, since the building owners had knowingly violated the law.
“Merely conducting spot verifications time again and again will not serve the purpose, other than translating into action the purpose of freeing the bottleneck in the form of random building constructions that has come up all along the Dimapur- Chumukedima stretch”, the CLP Leader stated.
The CLP Leader reminded that the then NDA government at the Centre gave a package of Rs 400 crores for four laning of Dimapur to Kohima in 2003. It stated that till that point of time, the state govt keeping in mind the future expansion had issued a notification with regards to construction of buildings on the Highway 29 especially along the Dimapur-Chumukedima route at 75 feet from the middle of the road on either side.
However it alleged that in a blatant disregard to this standing order, the NPF led DAN govt rampantly issued land pattas on both side of the road for the past nine years. The Congress stated that prominent encroachment were at Assam Rifles Training centre at 3rd mile area, Central Jail and the adjoining Doordarshan Kendra compound at 4th mile, Agri Expo site and Green park at 4th & 5th mile area and IOC LPG Bottling Plant at 7th mile.
“These institutions had clearly demarcated the area for Highway expansion by setting up concrete boundary wall and the govt had illegally issued land pattas between the demarcated boundaries and the road for many commercial buildings to encroach on the highway. The construction of many other commercial buildings all along the route without adhering to the govt rules and regulations during the last few years has also led to severe water logging on the highway during rainy seasons making this stretch a nightmare for the passengers and vehicles passing by”, the CLP leader alleged.
Since the scope for expansion between Purana bazaar and Chumukedima along the present route was untenable due to random encroachment, the proposal for four laning was again revived in 2006- 2007 by proposing to divert the route from Khatkhati via Kuhuboto to Patkai College junction, the press note stated. “However, the proposal could not find acceptance with some political leaders with vested interest thereby ensuring that the four laning project remained a distant dream, when other states like Meghalaya whose project for four laning of Guwahati to Shillong was sanctioned at almost the same time is nearing successful completion”.
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