All Ward Union Mokokchung Town (AWUMT) on Saturday took strong exception over the move to “desanction” the North Eastern Power System Improvement Project (NERPSIP) scheme in Mokokchung district, which is being executed by the POWERGRID.
In representation to state chief secretary, AWUMT president Limanungsang and general secretary Jongpongtemjen said that the Ministry of Power, Government of India had written to the state government on September 20, 2021 for “desanctioning” NERPSIP scheme, “reason being that the project which was sanctioned in 2018 could not be completed within the stipulated schedule of December, 2021.”
The ward union said they learnt that the project could not take off in time due to land issue. However, on April 29 this year, AWUMT said they met the land owner and mutually resolved the matter.
Thereafter, on June 23, AWUMT said the union along with Mokokchung District Planning & Development Board (DPDB) chairman, district administration and other officials including chief engineer (power) jointly visited the site and also held thorough discussion at the DPDB meeting the same day in the presence of POWERGRID officials.
Subsequently, the matter was flagged to the Power department to take up the matter with all seriousness, to which the department assured to take up the matter in the State Land Acquisition Authority (SLAA) for purchase of the required land, it said.
However, even after the lapse of over two months, AWUMT said no tangible step had been taken to address the land issue and commence the already delayed work.
It said that the District Land Settlement Board had also forwarded the matter of land acquisition to the Commissioner Nagaland as resolved on July 15, 2021 in order to take it up at the State Land Acquisition Authority (SLAA) meeting for approval.
The union demanded to know as to why the government was exhibiting very little interest in NERPSIP scheme in Mokokchung and zero political will for its success, besides executing major developmental projects in the district.
Pointing out that it had done everything it its limited capacity, the union left it to the wisdom of the government to decide on the matter prudently.
However, AWUMT cautioned that if the project is desanctioned or face short closure, the government would be held responsible and would have to answer to the people of Mokokchung for their “negligence and step motherly treatment.”