The Ward Chairmen Union, Peren Town has alleged that as the road project Km 120.800 to Km 123.380 (NH-129A Package-1 (Peren Town) was nearing completion, contractor M/s Mayasheel Construction and JSP Projects Pvt Ltd (JV) had withdrawn most of the machineries and manpower.
In a joint representation to chief minister Neiphiu Rio, Peren town head GB Itingtiebe, PTWWO president Pelingrangle, PTYO president Ngautube Chamlak and PTWCU president Gaigwang Hegeu termed this as most alarming because while construction of 2.5 km of Peren town stretch from design Km 120+800 to Km 123+380 had not even started, the message it had conveyed was a matter of grave concern.
As there was no progress on the matter, they said there was apprehension that public interest and desire to have good wide roads and the dream of having good connectivity with neighbouring States of Manipur and Assam would be sabotaged and even abandoned.
They asserted that the public who were also stakeholders in the project had every right to know the status because it concerned them and that every decision taken unilaterally by the State government or National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd NHIDCL would be uncalled for and tantamount to injustice and deprivation of rights and privileges. They said this would be a direct challenge to the public and the government that in its wisdom and endeavour had granted the national highway.
They pointed out that people had sacrificed their lands despite being uncompensated and despite knowing the fact that owners of land and property owners were compensated for NH-129A starting from Maram in Manipur till Tepuiki river in Nagaland-Manipur border. They said the owners had lost their land forever for the desire to have good road connectivity.
They alleged that structures that were brought down for construction of NH-129A from Tepuiki river (Nagaland-Manipur boundary and starting point of Package 1) before and after the town stretch had not been compensated till date.
They pointed out that despite the matter having been brought up in public domain on numerous occasions by the affected owners, they had remained steadfast to their commitment not to let compensation issue derail timely completion of the project.
“We have intervened and paved way for dismantling and removal of these structures, despite being uncompensated. Besides, we have also contained to some extent several issues pertaining to construction which have wide legal ramifications,” the representation stated.
As Peren town connected Manipur and there was also a proposal to connect Kohima with Lekie in Assam via Peren town, the quartet stressed that it was important that the present town road was widened to the extent possible to prevent congestions and restrictions in future.
They expressed their gratitude to the chief minister, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, who laid the foundation during his visit to Peren district in 2015, and deputy chief minister TR Zeliang for heeding to their desire. They requested them that the approval so conveyed be honoured and executed without any further delay.
They said they would be compelled to seek legal recourse if the issue remained unresolved.
