EMN
Dimapur, December 10
Nagaland Contractors’ & Suppliers’Union has called a total bandh on December 15 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. along the National Highway 29 Dimapur-Kohima Road due to failure of assurance given by the Union Ministry of Transport & Highway despite repeated request for construction of 4 lane Dimapur- Kohima Road.
NCSU president Pele Khezhie and general secretary John Kath in a statement said the main reason behind the total bandh called by NCSU was non-fulfillment of commitment by the Union Minister for Road Transport Highway & Shipping Nitin Gadkari on various occasions.
“On 30th June to 1st July 2015 during the highway meet at Guwahati the Union Minister assured in presence of Union Minister, Kiren Rijiju and Union Minister of State Youths & Sports Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Meghalaya, all PWD Ministers of North Eastern States, technocrats and contractors assured to accommodate the local contractors by breaking up project into smaller packages in the Northeastern region.
The statement said, “On 3rd Nov 2015, Union Minister had publicly announced to accommodate local contractors by breaking up the project into smaller package, during laying foundation stone for construction of 4 lane Dimapur -Kohima road. “
“On the same evening on 3rd Nov 2015, at Raj Bbavan Komma, when the NCSU official met with the Union Minister he was given assurance that the project will be made a break-up into smaller packages in order to accommodate the eligible local contractors.”
“On 9th Nov 2015, when the NCSU officials met with the Chief Engineer National Highway at New Delhi, he has given his assurance that one out of 3 projects will break up into smaller packages and give opportunity to the local contractors on construction of four Laning of Dimapur -Kohima road.”
“The NCSU had bitter experiences despite repeated pleas made to the union government for construction of 2 laning of Longleng -Changtongya road, Tamlu -Merangkong road, Phek - Pfutsero road and Zunheboto-Chakhabarna road under SARDP Phase I which was awarded to Maytas -Gayatri (IV) in the year 2010 resulting to total failure and left the project abandoned.”
“When the concerned Ministry has implemented the system of break-up of works of huge projects in Arunachal Pradesh why the same yardstick could not be provided to the State of Nagaland?”.
“The Nagaland Contractors’ & Suppliers’ Union is not greedy to get the contract work for its own benefit but fighting for the rights of the Nagas in general. If this trend continues we will be nowhere. In view of above cited reasons, the NCSU has been compelled to call for total bandh on N.H 29 Dimapur-Kohima on 15th Dec 2015, and appeal the general public to cooperate and the inconvenience created by the union is regretted. It is also informed general public that police, paramilitary, magistrates on duty, ambulance shall be exempted from the purview of the bandh.”
