(Morung File Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | September 2
No road under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Phase-III has been completed in Nagaland so far, PWD (Roads and Bridges) Minister G Kaito Aye said in the state Assembly on Tuesday.
Aye made the statement in reply to a starred question raised by MLA Nuklutoshi during the ninth session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly here on September 1.
The minister said the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA), considering various constraints faced by states across the country, had extended the completion deadline for PMGSY-III road works to March 31, 2028.
"With the issues now settled, the state is positive to complete the PMGSY-III works before the revised deadline," Aye said.
Furnishing the status and progress of all PMGSY Phase-III roads in the state, the minister said work orders for Batch-I projects were issued in March 2024 and those for Batch-II in January 2025.
However, actual work could commence only in February 2026, he said.
Aye attributed the delay to several factors, including the introduction of Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) technology, locking of the OMMAS portal, abnormal monsoon conditions and migration to the SNA-SPARSH financial management system.
Full Depth Reclamation: The minister said FDR was a new technology and contractors initially required three to four months to mobilise the necessary machinery and materials from service providers. The technology also requires favourable weather conditions for execution.
OMMAS portal: The monitoring and payment portal was locked by MoRD and NRIDA from March 2024 to April 2025 for 13 months due to issues concerning the National Invitation to Tender (NIT), including a requirement that only NPWD-registered contractors could participate, he said.
Abnormal monsoon: Early onset of the monsoon and prolonged torrential rainfall from May to October 2025 brought on-site earthwork and sub-base construction to a standstill for around six months. Since FDR work requires favourable weather conditions, the abnormal monsoon further delayed execution, Aye said.
SNA-SPARSH migration: The transition to the new SNA-SPARSH financial management system from September 2025 to January 2026 temporarily halted disbursements across the country and took around five months to resolve, the minister said.
Despite the delays, the state government is confident of completing the PMGSY-III works before the revised March 2028 deadline, he added.
