Urges action against officials and contractor
Wokha, February 1 (MExN): The Lotha Hoho (LH) Wokha has once again raised concerns regarding the non completion of the bridge over the Doyang River, under Nagaland Foothill Road (now Trans Nagaland Expressway).
More than 6 years after the issue of work order for the bridge construction and after receiving 75% of the payment, more than half of the work remains to be done, the LH Wokha stated.
The work for the bridge was approved on the June 6, 2014, sanctioned and work order issued to M/S Pukhato Shohe & Sons, on the November 21, 2014, for an amount of Rs 2452.20 lakh, the LH Wokha said.
After erecting only the left bank abutment and two pillars, the quantity of work done was only about 30%. However, the concerned Executive Engineer R&B (Dimapur Division) had paid the contractor Rs 18,49,73,074, which is 75% of work order amount, the Hoho alleged, adding that it amounts to fraudulent payment of bill without commensurate work.
As per the work order, the target date of commissioning of the said bridge was October 15, 2016. After receiving 75% of payment and after more than six years, the work remains incomplete, it stated.
The Hoho said that it had raised the issue of the non completion of the works during the January 2021 meeting of the Wokha District Planning and Development Board (DPDB) held at Liphanyan village (Governor Camp), under Ralan Sub Division, on January 28.
All those who attended the DPDB meeting and saw the bridge work know that even 50% of the construction work of the bridge is not done till date, the LH Wokha stated.
Earlier on October 20, 2017, the LH Wokha had filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the Executive Engineer (R&B) Dimapur Division, Dimapur; and the contractor M/S Pukhato Shohe & Sons.
“After the Lotha Hoho filed FIR, the contractor had shown some activities but the progress of work is going at snail’s pace and is unsatisfactory,” it stated.
It also added that the Trans Nagaland Expressway Construction Committee (earlier NFHRCC) had several co ordination meetings with the contractor. But as per the present status of the work, the contractor remains ‘casual’.
In physical inspections carried out by the Lotha Hoho on September 11, 2017, May 25, 2019 and January 28, 2021, it was reportedly found that more than half of the work remains to be done; as only half of the runway slab is concreted so far.
Right bank abutment and half of the bridge slab are yet to be constructed, the LH Wokha said and added that the contractor should complete at least the skeletal structure before claiming the final bill.
It also urged the State government, the Construction Committee and ACAUT to initiate early completion of the bridge or carry out inquiry and take necessary disciplinary actions, if the work is not completed in reasonable due time.
The LH Wokha also urged the Superintendent of Police, Wokha, “to reactivate the FIR for an authentic report, so that appropriate legal action can be initiated.”
Need for one more R&B division in Wokha
Meanwhile, the LH also said that although the bridge is located under Wokha district, the Express Highway is meant to benefit districts like Dimapur, Wokha, Mokokchung, Longleng, Mon etc, and added that, “even if the government spends thousands of crores of Rupees for the Highway, the road will not be useable without the bridge.”
It noted that the stretch of the Expressway is 39 kms under Dimapur with one R&B Division, 135 kms under Wokha with one R&B Division, 72 kms under Mokokchung with two R&B Divisions, 38 kms under Longleng with one R&B Division and 58 kms under Mon with two R&B Divisions.
The longest stretch is under Wokha and hence it is necessary to create one more R&B Division in the district, for more effective supervision and management of the road, the Hoho reasoned.
