DIMAPUR: Eastern Nagaland Sumi Students’ Union (ENSSU) has extended solidarity and supported Chakhesang Public Organisation (CPO) in its objection to the prolonged delay, inadequate progress and repeated failure to complete the NH 29 Package II Chakhabama–Kikruma two lane road project along the Kohima–Jessami corridor.
In a press release, ENSSU president, Vihepu K Yeptho and general secretary, Gihuka V Chophy said the continued stagnation of this strategically vital project was a matter of grave public concern, imposing an unjust burden on the people of Kiphire and Shamator districts, as well as the wider Eastern Nagaland region, who rely heavily on the road for access to Kohima, Dimapur and other parts of the State.
It noted that the Chakhabama-Kikruma stretch was more than an infrastructure project, describing it as an indispensable lifeline connecting Eastern Nagaland with the State capital and major centres of administration, education, healthcare and commerce. Thousands of students, patients, employees, traders and farmers depend on the corridor for daily movement and essential needs.
Highlighting the hardships faced by residents, particularly those from Sitimi and Seyochung, ENSSU said the deplorable condition of the road often compelled them to take lengthy diversions through Zunheboto, resulting in loss of time, higher transportation costs and avoidable inconvenience.
The Union stressed that the impact was especially severe on students who regularly travel to Kohima and Dimapur for higher education, examinations and training. Poor connectivity, it said, directly affected their mobility, safety, finances and academic opportunities.
Pointing out that the project, originally tendered in 2019 and scheduled for completion by June 30, 2022, had already suffered years of delay, ENSSU endorsed CPO’s call for termination of the present contractor, Ratna Infrastructure Projects Pvt. Ltd., and replacement with a competent agency. It urged authorities to take decisive, transparent and time bound corrective measures, cautioning that the public could not be expected to bear the consequences of administrative inaction indefinitely.
ENSSU also expressed serious concern over the inadequate intervention of NHIDCL, stating that repeated assurances without visible progress could no longer be accepted. It reminded that infrastructure development was a responsibility towards the people and demanded accountability, transparency and efficiency.
The Union emphasised that the Kohima–Jessami corridor carried immense strategic, economic and social significance, serving as one of the principal gateways to the State capital. Timely completion of NH 29 Package II, it said, would improve connectivity, reduce travel time and costs, and contribute significantly to socio economic development.
ENSSU appealed to the Government of Nagaland to take up the matter with concerned authorities at the highest level and ensure completion within the stipulated September 2026 timeline. It also supported CPO’s decision to seek judicial intervention through a Public Interest Litigation before the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, in the larger public interest.
Reaffirming its stand, ENSSU declared that the people of Kiphire and Shamator could not be expected to indefinitely shoulder the burden of poor connectivity, escalating travel costs and developmental isolation.
Wednesday, August 19, 2026