No action taken against official for issuing false completion certificate, Chief Engineer tells High Court Kohima Bench

Kohima, Jan. 30 (EMN): Chief Engineer, PWD (R&B) Kevide Nakhro, on Monday submitted before the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, that no steps have been taken till date against Executive Engineer, PWD (R&B) who issued “false completion certificate” on road projects under Meluri sub-division in Phek district.

The road project is in regard to Lephory to Molhe Post/Camp (26 km) in Phek district involving an alleged sum of INR 30 crore and completion certificate for which was issued on January 21, 2014 despite not completing the work.

It also alleged that in 2017, an additional fund of INR 15 crore was sanctioned for construction of the said road, and a same amount was sanctioned in 2018 too but ‘no road worth the name has been constructed so far’.

The Court, while hearing the matter on Monday, stated that “on a pointed query made by this Court as to what steps has been taken against the respondent No. 11/Executive Engineer with regard to the issuance of false Completion Certificate in the month of December, 2013, the Chief Engineer submits that no steps has been taken till date”.

“We intent to proceed with the PIL only after appropriate steps has been taken against the Executive Engineer/respondent No. 11,” it added.

The matter has been listed for hearing again on February 3, 2023 “to enable the chief engineer to apprise this Court what steps has been taken against the executive engineer”.

The chief engineer should be present in Court in the next hearing, it directed.

In its earlier order, the Court had directed the contractor to continue the work on war-footing so that the work is completed during the working season. It further asked the chief engineer to file an affidavit showing the progress of the work.