EMN
Dimapur, February 17
Against Corruption and Unabated taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland has served 10 days ultimatum to the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) to immediately release land and other compensation in full amounting to Rs 174.36 crores against construction of four lane Dimapur bypass from Patkai/ Chumuokedima Bridge to Kushiabill village in Dimapur district.
In a letter to the Managing Director NHIDCL, ACAUT, through its Grievance Cell, felt insulted by NHIDCL for taking into granted the intelligence of the inhabitants of the State by refusing to pay the land compensation amounting to Rs 174.36 crores in full for the sector Dimapur bypass from Patkai/ Chumuokedima brisge to Khushiabill village in Dimapur district by citing ‘unintelligent and dubious reasons’ even though the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) had clearly directed vide its letter No. NH/12012/33/2015/SARDP-NE dated January 12, 2016, by sanctioning the full amount. ACAUT said the same was testified according to the letter (NHIDCL/BO-DIM/Dmp Bypass/2015-16/06 dated 10. 02. 2016) addressed to the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur, by the GM (Projects), Nagaland, which acknowledged that Rs 174, 36, 59, 521 had been received by NHIDCL from MORTH as land compensation amount.
ACUAT, however, stated that contravening to the direct executive order of MORTH, Ashwani Kumar, General Manager (P), NHIDCL, BO-Dimapur; and VK Srivastava, General Manager (P), NHIDCL, “had decided to release an amount of Rs 100 Cr as part of 1st installment payment of land compensation since the fund allocation by the Ministry is only Rs 505 Cr.” ACAUT said firstly, the statement was independent of the directive of MORTH and secondly, totally misleading and a false statement. It termed as totally misleading and false for the reason that the release of Rs 505 Cr by MORTH was separate, given as additional allocation to NHIDCL for the works to be carried out during the year 2015-16 which was over and above the main allocation of Rs 1710 Cr (letter no. F.No RW/G-23011/08/2015-W&A dated 22nd Jan 2016).
“If our intelligence have not deserted us, the official correspondence letters clearly implies that the land compensation amount of Rs. 174.36 Cr is separate from the works amount of Rs 2215 (main +additional allocation) given to NHIDCL under SARDP-NE, 2015-16,’ ACAUT claimed.
It, therefore, stated that the decision of the 3 NHIDCL officials to pay compensation in 2 installments was blatant insubordination relative to the executive order of the MORTH, which might necessarily lead to suspension of the officials.
Also citing Rs 505 Cr as reason (paucity of funds) for the decision to release the compensation in 2 installments, ACAUT said the 3 NHIDCL executives had not only indulged in falsehood but also amalgamated the land compensation amount and the works amount into one entity without any official notification from MORTH, thereby seriously violating the MORTH’s system of keeping the two as strictly separate heads. It, therefore, said the accountability and transparency of NHIDCL is now suspected, even amounting to criminal conspiracy by the 3 mentioned officials to misutilise funds thereby attracting penal offence with possible jail term.
ACAUT further alleged that NHIDCL, instead of assisting the Prime Minister’s vision of amalgamating the NE Region and the ASEAN countries through construction of a Pan-Asian Super Highway as part of his pet Act East Policy, seemed to be in sabotaging mood. Under the circumstances where greed in NHIDCL seems to be a factor, ACAUT felt that the 4-lane project in Nagaland is more than likely not to take off for which NHIDCL should be held fully responsible.
However, in the hope that better sense prevails, ACAUT Nagaland has given a time frame of 10 days within which the land compensation amount of Rs 174, 36, 59, 521 should be paid in full failing which the issue would be taken up at the PMO level and even the rule of law applied.
