Nagaland faces project delays, fund refunds and an 11% CRIF backlog as lawmakers question bureaucratic lapses and land disputes
KOHIMA — Projects stalled, funds returned and a growing backlog of sanctioned works came under scrutiny in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on Thursday, with legislators questioning why development projects repeatedly run into delays and why sanctioned funds are eventually surrendered.
Advisor Achumbemo Kikon sought details from Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang on projects that had been delayed, foreclosed or closed, resulting in funds being refunded to the Centre or the North Eastern Council (NEC). He questioned whether bureaucratic delays, technical shortcomings, contractors or landownership disputes were responsible.
In Kikon’s estimation, the state may have surrendered INR 100-200 crore over the past three to four years because of delays in implementing projects. He called for the government to identify the reasons behind such failures and ensure that sanctioned works are completed on time.
Among the projects cited were the conversion of Central Workshop in Dimapur into a bus station/night parking and market complex; a multi-level parking facility at Rullinuo in Kohima; the Kohima-Leikie Road Junction to Barak road; the Jendang-Saddle-Noklak-Pangsha road; the Noklak-Thenokyu road; the Pukhungri-Avangkhu-Layshi road; infrastructure at Mayangnokcha Government Higher Secondary School in Mokokchung; and Phase I of the New High Court Complex in Kohima.
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Zeliang agreed that delays had occurred at different stages, including administrative approvals, tendering and project implementation. He said complacency among implementing agencies and delays by contractors were sometimes responsible, while landownership disputes had also led to projects being foreclosed and funds refunded.
He added that the Centre had questioned Nagaland’s capacity to implement projects when the state sought fresh sanctions despite having incomplete works and pending completion certificates.
The deputy chief minister informed that the backlog of sanctioned but incomplete projects under the Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) had risen above 11%, whereas the prescribed level for receiving fresh sanctions was below 5%.
Nagaland had therefore foreclosed some projects and refunded funds to reduce the backlog, he said, adding that the state subsequently began receiving fresh CRIF sanctions.
Zeliang said that departments should process administrative approvals and tendering promptly after sanctions are received. Despite the state budget being passed in March, he noted that several departments were yet to complete these processes.
He felt that projects could have been tendered by June and work started by September or October, making use of the working season from September to April.
Kikon cited specific cases to illustrate the problem. In the Kohima-Leikie to Barak road Phase III project, INR 1,534.25 lakh was refunded to the Centre after the project was closed. In the Jendang-Saddle-Noklak-Pangsha road project, INR 1,570.97 lakh was refunded amid landslides, monsoon-related difficulties and disputes over landowner compensation.
He maintained that the state should have addressed land-related issues before projects were sanctioned or implemented, while stressing that development should not be held back by disputes.
Kikon also pointed to the multi-level parking project at Rullinuo, where INR 122 lakh was refunded to the NEC, and the Mayangnokcha school infrastructure project, where INR 101.67 lakh remained unutilised and was returned to the NEC.
For the Pukhungri-Avangkhu-Layshi road, INR 200 lakh released by the NEC was fully utilised for earthwork, while the remaining INR 339 lakh was considered insufficient to complete the project, resulting in its foreclosure.
According to Zeliang, there was generally no provision for land compensation under schemes such as NEC, CRIF, DoNER and PM-DevINE, except in cases such as National Highway projects where compensation is mandated. He urged all 60 MLAs to sensitise people about the need to cooperate with development projects.
Roads & Bridges Minister G Kaito Aye said several of the projects were under the department and had faced issues including alignment changes, difficult terrain and other implementation challenges. He explained that proposals for foreclosure are examined by the state-level empowered committee and subsequently by the empowered inter-ministerial committee.
Aye informed that two projects had involved substantial expenditure by the state, which was refunded after further funding was not approved. Therefore, he said, such refunds should not simply be viewed as surrender of funds, since the state had already incurred expenditure.
Kikon said the government needed to demonstrate tangible development before returning to the people in 2028. He urged the bureaucracy and technical agencies to improve project implementation and appealed to landowners and the public to cooperate.
He also said Article 371(A) safeguards Naga rights over land and resources but should not be used to obstruct development.
Advisor for Science & Technology Kuzholuzo Nienu said landownership remained a major stumbling block and sought greater budgetary support for the department. He also raised the need for funds to address the fire damage at the 3D Theatre Hall of the Nagaland Science Centre in Dimapur.
MLA Limaonen also participated in the discussion and called for authorities to address implementation problems responsibly.
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