Phom Students’ Conference (PSC) has served a 15-day ultimatum on the Nagaland Public Works Department (Road & Bridges) demanding commencement of construction works on Longleng-Ladigarh NEC (group ‘c’) road by maintaining all necessary norms and procedures.
Setting January 30, 2016 as deadline, the PSC cautioned that failure to start construction within stipulated time, it would resort to any course of necessary action as deemed fit against the “erring officials and contractor” for which the department and contractor shall held solely responsible.
Expressing dismay at the “indifferent attitude” of the department, PSC said NPWD and the concerned contractor failed to commence construction of road even after many appeals and reminders.
In a press release, PSC president Hongkam D. Ngonyen said stated that since the day the work order for construction of Longleng-Ladigarh NEC Road was issued, the concerned contractor failed to implement the procedures in letter and in spirit.
PSC said this compelled it to raise “unsatisfactory voice” against the contractor and consequently the office of the chief engineer NPWD(R&B) assured that the department would blacklist if the concerned contractor failed to complete the construction as per the work order. However, PSC said the contractors failed to complete the construction within the time frame.
Consequently, it said basing on the assurance letter issued by the chief engineer, the PSC resorted to agitation demanding blacklisting of the concerned contractors in October 2011.
Eventually, PSC said it called off the agitation after the department assured for consultative meeting. PSC said it was on October 27, 2011, a joint meeting was held between the PSC representatives and NPWD(R&B) officials in Longleng with then DC Longleng K. Libanthung Lotha as witness and unanimously resolved nine points.
Some of the resolved pointes included: the work shall be completed within March 31, 2013; PSC and the concerned department shall jointly verify the work; maintenance of work for six months after its completion as per the term and condition should be strictly implemented; the department should not release the final bill until and unless the contractor completes their work; the department should blacklist the contractor, if contractor subsequently fails to complete the work within the time frame as fixed by the department and if completed work is found to be unsatisfactory; in the case of the blacklist and cancellation of work as the case maybe, the department concerned shall solely be responsible for remaining undone works and that if the department failed to implement the agreed resolutions, the PSC would resort to any democratic forms of agitation.
PSC also stated that it had reminded the department time and again through letters to the office of the chief engineer NPWD(R&B) dated March 28, 2013; March 29, 2013; September 17, 2013 and November 22, 2013.
However, despite repeated pleas for full implementation of resolutions adopted during a joint meeting between PSC and NPWD(R&B) in Longleng on October 27, 2011, PSC said the construction of Longleng-Ladigarh NEC road on group ‘c’ has been abandoned.
Meanwhile, PSC has demanded that all three parties viz. concerned department officials, PSC and the concerned contractor must be present on the spot on the day of commencement of work. The Phom student body also urged the department to strictly monitor ongoing progress of work under NEC. It affirmed that that the road must be completed within the time frame while urging for quality workmanship of the contractor.
Tuesday, April 14, 2026