ANCSU threatens protest over prolonged delay in implementing REC-funded girls’ hostel project at Kohima Science College, Jotsoma
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KOHIMA — The All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) on Friday threatened to launch protests over the delay in implementing the proposed 100-bed girls’ hostel at Kohima Science College, Jotsoma, under a CSR-funded project amounting to INR 3.53 crore.
A CSR grant under REC (Rural Electrification Corporation) Ltd. amounting to INR 3,52,68,650 has been sanctioned for the project, with the first instalment of INR 1,05,80,595 released on April 12, 2023. However, the union alleged that necessary measures to ensure timely execution of the project have not been undertaken over the past three years.
Addressing a press conference in Kohima, ANCSU president Kivika Yeptho and general secretary Sotilo Tep warned that the union would initiate agitation if the issue is not addressed within a week.
Also read: Nagaland: ANCSU flags delay in girls’ hostel project at Kohima Science College
The union alleged that the department concerned and the state government had failed to utilise the sanctioned amount within the stipulated timeframe.
According to ANSCU, the REC has initiated the refund process due to non-implementation of the project within the extended deadline ending February 2026.
In this regard, the union stated that it had appealed to the chief secretary last month to intervene in the matter. However, it reportedly received a verbal response from the chief secretary’s office stating that it was “not in a position” to convince REC to extend the project timeline further as the three-year contractual period prescribed under CSR guidelines had already been exhausted.
It further claimed that the IDAN department had already initiated steps to refund the sanctioned amount due to the prolonged delay in construction of the hostel. It added that the first instalment released for the project is still lying in the department’s current account.
“We want to remind the government that the INR 3.53 crore sanctioned for the hostel should be properly utilised and the department concerned must immediately initiate the process for implementation,” Yeptho said.
He pointed out that a majority of students enrolled in the college are female, while the institution currently has only one 100-bed girls’ hostel that has been accommodating students for many years.
The ANSCU president added that the union would issue an ultimatum before launching democratic agitation within a week if no concrete action is taken.
Case background
The proposal for construction of a 100-bed girls’ hostel at Kohima Science College was submitted by IDAN to REC under CSR funding on October 6, 2022, with an estimated project cost of INR 3.50 crore.
Subsequently, REC approved the proposal on March 14, 2023, sanctioning approximately INR 3.53 crore, following which an MoU was signed on March 23, 2023. The first instalment amounting to INR 1,05,80,595 was released on April 12, 2023.
The implementing committee later resolved to execute the project in Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode using prefabricated structures for faster completion, and an e-tendering process was initiated with a notice inviting tender published on August 3, 2023.
On October 25, 2023, IDAN reportedly requested REC to upscale the hostel into an international-standard facility with additional support from Nagaland government.
During subsequent deliberations, it was observed that the original sanctioned amount was inadequate for construction of a prefabricated international-standard hostel in the hilly terrain, resulting in delays in execution.
IDAN later sought an 18-month extension of the project timeline from REC on February 5, 2025, which was approved till February 2026.
In a meeting held on March 18, 2025, a DPR submitted by the contractor projected the total construction cost of the proposed international-standard hostel at INR 6 crore, while the CSR-sanctioned amount stood at only INR 3.53 crore.
The department subsequently requested the remaining INR 2.47 crore as the state government’s share. However, the project could not commence due to insufficient sanctioned funds and pending approval of the state government’s bridging component.