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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 7 (EMN): The fifth session of the Thirteenth Nagaland Legislative Assembly’s (NLA) ‘Question Hour’ opened with opposition MLA Yitachu, raising a starred question on the progress of projects undertaken so far under the Kohima Smart City project and the total amount sanctioned for the same.
Minister-in-charge of the Department of Municipal Affairs, Metsubo Jamir in reply to the queries of the MLA, stated that the total amount sanctioned for the Kohima Smart City project was INR 198 crore out of which INR 113 crore has been released till date. He further stated that the Kohima Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Smart City office was the only project completed so far.
The leader of opposition, TR Zeliang also made supplementary queries on the issue regarding the diversion of funds from the Smart City project ‘without proper written approval from the Centre’ to fund projects like the multi-level car parking at Old Medical Directorate and Old NST and the Capital Cultural Hall, which was started under different project plans and left incomplete.
Metsubo Jamir, replying to the questions put by Zeliang, said that the diversion of funds was done with approval of the state government and also after assessing the need for proper parking facilities in the state capital to ease the traffic congestion.
He further acknowledged the need to get proper written approval from the Centre for such fund diversions and assured the House that the department would look into the issue and get the approval at the earliest.
Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, replying to a question from opposition MLA Yitachu on the creation of village guard, stated that Kanjang village, under Meluri ADC headquarters of Phek district had been included in the consolidated proposal for village guards expansion.
Opposition MLA, Chumben Murry queried on the status of the augmentation of water supply to Wokha town from Engorotchu and the capacity of the project, and also questioned if there were any technical problems encountered. Minister for PHED, Jacob Zhimomi replied that the main components of the project were completed and commissioned on October 18, 2018; and stated that the capacity of the project was 3.75 million litres per day.
The minister also maintained that the department had encountered some technical and other unforeseen problems and stated that pipelines were distributed ‘because of the gravity of heights from the point of origin to the storage area due to unavailability of land’.
MLA Muthingnyuba Sangtam asked on the latest status of the progress of work on the NH-202 and the amount sanctioned for the said road construction from the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Deputy Chief Minister, Y Patton.
Patton said that there were two ongoing projects under annual renewal programme viz. Improvement of Riding Quality Programme (IRQP) to NH-202 from 130 km (near C/Saddle) to 140 km (near Yakur) under Tuensang division, wherein Patton maintained that the physical progress has been 50% and financial progress was 32.63%.
The deputy chief minister also asserted that periodic renewal from 272 km (near Ngoromi) to 284 km (near Akhegwo) on NH-202 under Kiphire division, the physical progress was 60% and financial progress was 22%. He said that the amount sanctioned for NH-202 from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was INR 297.60 crore.
Patton, who holds the additional charge of Civil Administrative Works Department (CAWD), replying to a starred question raised by opposition MLA Y Vikheho Swu, on the construction details of ADC office Pughoboto, said that the construction work of the office was expected to be completed by August 2020 if the funds were released on time. He stated that construction work started in 2016, with a sanctioned amount of INR 313.31 lakh.