Nagaland Government Registered Class-1 Contractors’ Union (NGRC-1 CU) on Tuesday said corruption was one of the few causes responsible for bad roads in the state.
In a press release, NGRC-1 CU president Seyiekuolie and general secretary L. Pukhato Shohe alleged that the system was not followed while awarding works.
The union claimed that awarding works in ‘table tender’ invited the “practices of deduction of certain percentages such as party fund which is to be deposited to the most highly respected office i.e. no other than the ‘Chief Minister Office’(CMO Nagaland), minister commission and several other commissions including factions and several other taxes both legal and illegal.”
Asserting “enough is enough”, the NGRC-1 CU said the politicians instead of giving excuses of not having money for roads should “first stop practicing the so called ‘commission/party fund’ and just strictly follow the rules and norms as laid down in NPWD Code as well as CPWD Code and do away with the works which is in total violation of all ethics of technicalities.”
Meanwhile, NGRC-1 CU has appreciated Lotha and Rengma community for their fight against the bad roads particularly NH-2, which was also one of the lifelines of the state.
The union further shared solidarity with the tribal hohos of both Lotha and Rengma, youth, students, women community and Lotha–Rengma Class-1 Contractors’ Association for holding protest against the bad road particularly the NH-2 crossing the Rengma and Lotha areas.
It said the road has been neglected for the last several years and brought so much of hardships to all the people in the state and more particularly upon the two communities.
NGRC-1 CU maintained that the two communities’ fight for good road was a very good cause as it was for every citizen in the state. “Citizens have the right to demand good roads and the government as a welfare state is responsible for all the bad roads,” it said.
The union asserted that the state government and the central government must hear the cry of the people and admit that deplorable road condition was one of the major public grievances.
NGRC-1 CU also cited cases where serious patients were compelled to be airlifted from different districts to Kohima or Dimapur due to deplorable road condition just to save one’s life but was borne by selling off valuable properties.