Total bandh if work doesn’t start
Reveals center has already sanctioned Rs. 340.2687
Dimapur, April 9 (EMN): The Lotha Hoho and the Rengma Hoho have served the “National Highways Authorities, Nagaland, (NHAN)” an ultimatum that total blockade will be imposed on the National Highway-2 between Tseminyu subdivision in Kohima district to Wokha district, if the state does not commence work by the 18th of April.
The two organisations issued a joint statement on Sunday warning that the issue “will no more be negotiable.”
The entire text read: “After waiting and appealing for several years, for widening of the National Highway No. 02 (erstwhile National Highway 61), Tseminyu and Wokha sectors, the Lotha and Rengma Hohos hereby serve this open ultimatum to the National Highways Authorities, Nagaland to immediately start widening works on NH 02, for the two sectors, latest by 18th April 2017, failing which total Bandh will be imposed, w.e.f.19.04.2017, and it will no more be negotiable.”
Assurances and more assurances
The two stated that the ‘chief engineer of NHAN’ had clarified through the local media that “it has been observed regretfully that the Tseminyu and Wokha stretch of road is in deplorable condition because of litigation in the Supreme Court…”
But the court case is settled and the work on this stretch is proposed in the annual plan of 2014-2015 and the updated Detailed Project Report has been submitted to the MORTH (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) for sanction” though a publications on “6/6/015,” the press release stated.
Further, the Lotha and Rengma organisations stated, the then minister for National Highways for Nagaland assured on the 30th of September 2015. It read: “Nuklotoshi assures work on Tseminyu and Wokha road sectors within two weeks,” the press release stated, published in some sections of the local dailies.
Likewise, during a meeting of the Lotha Hoho and the Rengma Hoho with the commissioner and secretary and the chief engineer of ‘NH’ on the 3rd of October 2015, the organisations were assured that the Detailed Project Report “can be ready” for sanction within two months, i.e., by January 2016.
The two organisations then waited ‘patiently and hopefully’ but to no avail, the statement lamented.
‘Centre has already approved Rs. 340.2687 crore’
The statement also revealed that the central government has already approved the DPR and even sanctioned Rs. 340.2687 crore with specific condition that the work must start by December 2016.
“The GOI (MORTH) has approved the DPR and accorded sanction on the 31.10. 2016, for Rs. 340.2687 crore, with specific condition that the work must start by December 2016, and to spend 20% of the sanctioned amount within 2016-17, or else the sanction would lapse,” the statement revealed.
The bandh will exempt the press and media; the paramilitary, medical personnel on ‘patient duty’; the administration and police personnel on duty, fire service; water and power personnel on emergency duty, the press release added.
