Al Ngullie
Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 26
The current government of Nagaland has more than oftentimes been labeled “weakest government” or “meek” considering its unconvincing record in maintaining law and order and security of her citizens. Nonetheless, there is a saving grace for the State. The good news: Nagaland has secured one of the highest indexes in the infrastructural-development sector. The bad news: Her big infrastructural-development projects include those that haven’t even yet begun or have been dragging on for years, mired in controversies.
According to the 42nd Quarterly Survey of Projects Investment conducted by ProjectsToday recently, in March 2011, Nagaland secured a ‘project implementation ratio’ of 34.07% compared with the national average of 46.17 per cent. In terms of percentage of implementation of infrastructural-development projects, Nagaland ranks among two of the biggest states in India Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, according to ProjectsToday, India’s largest development database.
Projects Investment says Nagaland had 26 projects worth to the tune of Rs 2,853 crore till March 2011. The ratio of project implementation in the state is 34.07 per cent, when compared with the national average of 46.17 per cent, the record says.
The biggest projects of Nagaland currently are road upgrading works promoted by the Government of India, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and the Dimapur-Kohima Railway Line promoted by the North Eastern Railway; Paper Mill (expansion) in Mokokchung’s Tuli by Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited, Sub-Transmission and Distribution by the Nagaland state Power department, upgrade for NH-61, D’zuza Irrigation, Kohima-Bokajan and Dimapur-Ganeshnagar road by the government of Nagaland and modernization of Dimapur Airport by the Airports Authority of India.
However, coming back to Nagaland, her ‘top ten’ projects also comprise those currently in semi-defunct state or either dragging on paper or/and are incomplete or yet to actually commence. They include the tenacious Dimapur-Kohima Railway Line (the route for which has not even been identified and surveyed) and another, the sickly Tuli Paper Mill in Mokokchung. The paper mill in Tuli is the state’s only major “industry” block – and also the biggest source of migraine for Mokokchung and the state government. Likewise, the extent or the status of “modernization” of Dimapur Airport remains sketchy although the project was reportedly declared “complete” in 2002. The condition of the current infrastructure for the airport often comes into focus in the Media.
Rajasthan, the largest state in India in terms of area and the eighth most populous, had 1,454 projects worth Rs 1,11,538 crore in various stages of planning and implementation in 2011. The ratio of project implementation of the state was 52.24 per cent, as against the national average of 46.17 per cent.
Undivided Madhya Pradesh (before bifurcation into Chhattisgarh), was the second largest state in the country in terms of area, is also the seventh most populous state.
According to the 42nd Quarterly Survey of Projects Investment till March 31, 2011, Madhya Pradesh had 2,596 projects worth Rs 362,335 crore in various stages of planning and implementation. The ratio of project implementation observed for the state was 41.41 per cent, compared to the national average of 46.17 per cent.
