Dimapur, June 6 (EMN): The Lotha Hoho has served an ultimatum to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), the overseeing company of the controversial Wokha-Merapani road. The company is to 'intervene' latest by June 15 to address a number of grievances related to construction and maintenance of said road.
Failing to do so would force the Lotha organisation to take an own course of action for which the organisation shall not be held responsible, a press release from the Lotha Hoho stated on June 6.
The updates informed that the Lotha Hoho, along with the community's frontals carried out a joint site-inspection and verification of the work on the highway on May 31 and the entire stretch from Merapani to Wokha.
The verification was part of follow-up steps to an ultimatum served to the contractor, M/S CS Infraconstruction Ltd., it was informed.
According to the press release, it was found that the contractor, M/S CS Infraconstruction Ltd., was not undertaking the project according to specifications.
The updates informed: During consultations with the deputy commissioner of Wokha, Dr. Manazir Jeelani Samoon, on April 23 2018 at Wokha, officials of CS Infraconstruction Ltd., SK Singh, had assured to "detail 4-5 persons to oversee the road construction activities" and that there would be 'no compromise on the quality of the work.'
The firm also reportedly assured that a co ordination committee would be set up under the supervision of the district administration 'for smooth execution of the road construction.' If the contractor does not implement the project work according to specifications, the press release informed, no bill would be released to the contractor; instead the work order would be cancelled. The organisation also clarified that there was no 'land-related issue.' No Objection Certificates from the land owners in concern have been submitted earlier in September 2016, the Lotha Hoho's statement clarified.
"As per the above directions and assurances the Lotha beneficiary organisations have patiently and eagerly waited for the contractor to honour the NHIDCl directions to adhere to the technical specifications," the Lotha Hoho stated.
"However, after observing for more than a month, the contractor does not seem to pay any heed to the direction; but instead continues to execute the works in defiance of the technical requirements."
'NEC has wrong contacts listed'
The organisation also threw askance at the North East Council (NEC). There has been no response from the NEC to the organisation's communication besides confusion about who at the NEC is the contact person.
"The readers may confirm for themselves that the NEC website has no 'Email' id and the contact no. given on the website is 08876883914, which keeps ringing; but no one responds. Hence an SMS was sent to this mobile Number requesting for Email address; but the message was diverted to number 8638201788. The owner of this number is one retired Assam police sub inspector, who responded to the LH SMS and expressed regret as to how his mobile number got into NEC website and added that many others have also called this number thinking it to be NEC Hq, Shillong."
Readers are encouraged to confirm it for themselves by logging into NEC's website.
"It is utterly ridiculous for a highly responsible entity such as the NEC to be so unreliable and non responsive," the press release stated.
'Therefore for the above reasons, the Lotha organisations are to request the NHIDCL to intervene latest by 15th June 2018, so as to ensure adherence to specifications, failing which the Lotha organisations will be compelled to take their own course of action and for which the beneficiary Lotha organisations will not be responsible,' the organisation added.
