Wokha, August 24 (MExN): The Lotha Hoho on Tuesday extended full support to the ultimatum issued to the Nagaland government by the Nagaland Foot Hill Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) and cautioned that it would revive the FIR filed earlier in 2017, in case of failure to complete the Foothill Road at the earliest.
It questioned as to why the state government not bothered about the road which is the lifeline of the border districts like Dimapur, Wokha, Mokokchung, Longleng, Mon and added that even other districts like Zunheboto and Tuensang need this road for access to Dimapur, the commercial hub of the state.
Highlighting that while the neighbouring state of Assam is able to build pucca roads all along the boundary, the Foothill road has been under construction for more than a decade.
“The Nagaland state government should attend to this Foothill road on top priority with fund, manpower and all the logistic support needed for early completion of the road. The concerned stakeholders, including the NFHRCC, are also urged to extend all the needed support for early completion of the work,” the Hoho stated in a press release appended by its President and General Secretary on August 24.
It highlighted that the NFHR bridge over Doyang river at Liphanyan, Wokha district, for which work order was issued seven years ago on November 21, 2014 is still not completed in spite of the advance payment of Rs 18,49,73,074 to the contractor, M/s L Pukhato Shohe & Sons which amounts to 75% of the total work order amount (Rs 5452.20 lakh), for execution of only about 25 % to 30 % of the work.
Against this fraud, the Lotha Hoho had filed an FIR, on October 20, 2017 against the contractor and the concerned Executive Engineer. However the NFHRCC had asked to resume the abandoned work, before the Police could take follow up action against the accused, the Lotha Hoho recounted and cautioned that “if the work is not completed within reasonable time frame, the FIR will be revived.”
The bridge is targeted to have been commissioned on the October 15, 2016, as per the work order, indicating a delay by 5 years, it stated. However, since the delay is due to ‘deliberate mischief’ of the contractor, it opined that the contractor “should not be paid any escalation.”
The Lotha Hoho urged the state government and the concerned authorities; including the NFHRCC, to complete the road at the earliest; failing which, the Hoho said it “would be compelled to resort to other means of seeking solution to the matter, including revival of the FIR.”
