Consequent upon National Highway Authority of Nagaland (NHAN) failure to take up works on widening of NH 2 (Tseminyu-Wokha sectors) despite repeated reminders for several years, the Lotha Hoho (LH) and Rengma Hoho (RH) Sunday served an ultimatum on NHAN demanding that the earthwork be completed latest by November end under any circumstances.
LH chairman Mhao Humtsoe and RH president Kenyuseng Tep in a joint statement warned NHAN that in the event the work was not completed within the stipulated time there will be no negotiation but will take the matter to Court.
The Hohos also demanded that the NHAN make available the documents such as DPR, work order, agreement, MoRTH notification on land/damage compensation, within 10 days with effect from August 7 as assured by the NHAN in the meetings held at Tseminyu in July 2017 and Wokha in April 2017.
According to LH and RH, MoRTH government of India sanctioned the works on NH 2 widening from 40 km to 72 km (Tseminyu- Wokha Sectors) in 2010. However, due to politicisation in the tendering process, the work has been stalled.
LH and RH asserted that had the work been allotted to the genuine bidder, the work would have been completed by now. But due to discrimination in the tendering process by NHAN, the “discriminated tenderer”, M/S VASCON & Co went to Delhi High Court and won the case. The court also imposed a fine of Rs. 15,000 on NHAN for procedural lapses in tendering and awarding contract work through backdoor. NHAN refused to comply with the court’s order and instead, along with M/S Meenakshi Infrastructure Pvt Ltd filed a Special Leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, but was dismissed, dated August 23, 2015. Therefore, on August 25, 2013, M/S DRV-VASCON (JV) wrote to NHAN for allotment of the work, LH and RH said.
However, RH and LH claimed that then minister responsible had asked the contractor “to please him and no action was taken by NHAN”, and therefore the matter was kept pending for nearly three years leading to de-sanctioning of the project. In view of the above, LH and RN jointly submitted a memorandum to NHAN on June 4, 2015. In reply, the then minister NH assured that the works will commence within two weeks, through a publication on September 30, 2015.
After which, NHAN submitted a revised DPR, which was also sanctioned by MoRTH on October 31, 2016, but the work failed to take up.
Therefore, another ultimatum to NHAN on April 9, 2017 was served by LH and RH with a warning that total indefinite bandh would be imposed on NH 2 in the event work was not taken up. On April 17, 2017, NHAN assured to take up the work within three months latest by July 17, 2017, but till now the work has not been started.
Further, LH and RH said that the work order has now been allotted to an Arunachal-based contractor, T.K. Engineering Corporation Pvt Ltd, which the Hohos suspect fishy in awarding the contract.
However, RH and LH said that it would not go deep into it, instead insisted for quality work and completion before the deadline expires.