Dimapur, April 19 (EMN): The Lotha Hoho and the Rengma Hoho have decided to suspend the blockade they have jointly imposed at National Highway 2. This was informed through a joint press release issued by the two organisations on Wednesday.
“This suspension, of bandh, is a gesture of goodwill towards the written assurance given by the commissioner and secretary, and chief engineer, NH (National Highways), Nagaland, through the media, on the 19th April 2017.
“The hohos reluctantly accept the assurance of the NH authorities that widening works on the NH 2, Tseminyu and Wokha sectors would be started at the earliest date, but not later than three months, from 17th April 2017”, the statement informed.
According to the statement, the two tribe hohos expect ‘that the assurance does not fail this time’. “However the hohos also stick to the commitment, given in the meeting of 17.4.2017, that repair and maintenance works will also be carried out wherever need and from outside the work component. This is necessary as the project is scheduled to complete only by November 2019. “Earlier the hohos have resolved not to respond to any call on the matter, except by way of negotiation at Tseminyu or Wokha. However the NH authorities have come to Wokha, on the 17th April 2017, and deliberated on the issue, at the conference hall of the office of the deputy commissioner, Wokha”, it Informed.
According to the statement, ‘because of numerous assurances without practical response in the past, the hoho members refused to accept any verbal assurance’ from the government. “The meeting remained inconclusive; but the commissioner and secretary and the chief engineer, NH, have jointly published the joint assurance and commitment to start work at the earliest but not later than three months, from 17.04.2017. Accordingly, the written commitment, is accepted by the hohos and the bandh is called off wef 1300 hours of 19th April 2017.
“It may be emphasised that the hohos’ demand has, since the first memorandum submitted on 26th May 2015, been for widening of the NH 2, covering Tseminyu and Wokha sectors, from 40 km to Doyang Bridge. Hence unless the works covering the entire sectors are taken up the agitation will resume and continue, till the works covering the entire stretch are taken up”, it informed.
