Lotha And Rengma Orgs’ Cry For Highway Work Grows Louder - Eastern Mirror
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Nagaland

Lotha and Rengma orgs’ cry for highway work grows louder

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By EMN Updated: May 09, 2016 11:43 pm

EMN
Dimapur, May 9

A number of local organizations in Kohima and Wokha have expressed support to the ultimatum of the apex Lotha and Rengma tribal organizations to the state authorities to work on national highway-2, that runs through Tseminyu subdivision in Kohima and through to Wokha district.
The Rengma Selo Zi , the Wokha District Entrepreneurs’ Association and the Wokha District Contractors’ Union issued separate press releases welcoming the stand of the Lotha Hoho and the Rengma Hoho in serving a 15-day deadline to the Public Works Department (NH) to “immediately start the widening works.” Lending ‘full support’ to the two apexes, a Rengma youth group, the Rengma Selo Zi, expressed its resentment at the ‘department of National Highway’ and the state government “for making lame excuses on the issue for a decade.”
The Rengma Selo Zi stated in it press release: “The National Highway 2, erstwhile NH-61, starting from Km-40 to 72 Km between Tseminyu and Wokha, was abandoned by the government for the past 13 years. Since then no work was executed for improvement or maintenance, and if the department wanted to claim…repairing and maintenance, the Rengma Selo Zi would like to know how much amount are sanctioned annually for such kind of activities.”
It stated that the Rengma community in particular had being undertaking voluntary repairs on the road twice in a year for the past 4 years. “But to our utter surprise and dismay the government or department had never came to our rescue. Earlier the widening to 2 lane from Km 40 to 72 of NH-61 under NH division of Kohima in the state of Nagaland was sanctioned in the year 2010 and subsequently M/S Meenakshi Infrastructure Pvt.ltd was awarded with the work but M/S DRA-VASCON challenged the decision and had filed a petition in the court which was later dismissed by the supreme court on 23-08-2013.”
Since then, the Rengma Selo Zi stated, the road between Tseminyu and Wokha “turned to be a riverbed, which is motorable only for a well build SUV vehicles and no other ordinary vehicle are ply able (sic).”
The Rengma Selo Zi also reminded that many tragic road accidents have occurred and many precious live have been lost besides those of sick people who could not avail medical help on time due to the bad road.
Despite many appeals by individuals and community the so-called national highway had never been ‘improved,’ it stated. Subsequently, it explained, the ministry of Road Transport and Highways included a work-plan for the year 2014-15.
“…but which was not sanctioned even after the 2015-16 annual plan as the department had miserably failed to prepare proper DPR. Therefore the Rengma Selo Zi shall for once and for all remind the government that henceforth no representation or memorandum shall be submitted ,as enough of appeal had being made for the same.”
The youth organization cautioned that ‘until and unless proper maintenance and improvement’ of the road are implemented “with proper machinaries like road rollers buldozers and JCBs,” the youths shall be compelled to restrict the movement of all ‘government registered SUV’ and will resort to ‘any sort of democratic agitation.’
In a separate statement, the Wokha District Entrepreneurs’ Association and the Wokha District Contractors’ Union affirmed that widening works on said national highway would serve the interest of not only the Lotha Naga and the Rengma Naga but also serve the interest of the people of Mokokchung, Zunheboto, Tuensang, Kiphire and Longleng districts.
The organizations urged the authorities in concern to immediately undertake work “on priority basis to foster growth of trade and commerce in the entire locality.”

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By EMN Updated: May 09, 2016 11:43:55 pm
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