Greed and lackadaisical attitude have failed SARDP roads: NPCC

Dimapur, October 18: While considering the importance of roads taken up under SARDP covering Mon, Longleng, Zunheboto and Phek districts, Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has attributed greed of NPF and step-motherly treatment of Government of India for failing the SARDP roads in Nagaland.
As projected in the local newspapers, NPCC media cell said it had the impression that the contractor (Gyatri and Maytas JV) was responsible for the delay and suffering of the people. However on verification, it found that the greed of the NPF and step-motherly treatment of GOI had failed the SARDP roads in Nagaland, NPCC statement claimed.
NPCC said it was rumoured before 2013 General Elections that NPF had demanded a huge commission from the contractors assuring that they would revise the estimate. When the revised estimate with a rise of over 200% was submitted to GOI, it is confirmed, that the Secretary Transport, Government of India, Vijay Chibber, ordered the cancellation of the project in 2013.It said PIL was filed by one brother in the Guwahati High Court wherein it gave its judgment in favour of the work and directed the contractors to start work immediately on October 13, 2013. However, the NDA Government filed a Special Leave Petition in the Division Bench of the Guwahati High Court (GHC) which resulted in the appointment of a Commission to verify.
Meanwhile, it said on 11/8/2015, Transport Secretary, Vijay Chibber, issued order of cancellation of the work orders in which the GHC Division bench dismissed the SLP on 27/07/2016 in favour of the work.
Stating that all the ‘Kings and all the Queens’ of NPF and BJP from Nagaland could not prevail upon the Government of India from filing the SLP in the Supreme Court, the case was heard on 7th October 2016 in which the Supreme Court, in a ruling, was stated to have appointed a Commission to further verify.
“Revision of estimate would not have been necessary had the contractors been given time to work without disturbances. It was greed that has brought the idea of revision of estimate,” NPCC said.
It said the Transport Secretary should have atleast ordered verification of the work and revised estimate and corrected the revised estimate but instead he straight away ordered in file to cancel the work order, which according to NPCC was purely a step-motherly action toward the public of Nagaland.
It felt that unless the GOI changes its attitude, the case will go on for years while people of the four districts will continue to suffer without pliable roads.