Dimapur, Sep. 12 (EMN): The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has, more or less, questioned the silence of the state’s legal community on the matter involving Rs 10 crore withdrawn in excess of the original estimate in connection with the project to construct a High Court building in Nagaland. Dimapur, Sep. 12 (EMN): The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has, more or less, questioned the silence of the state’s legal community on the matter involving Rs 10 crore withdrawn in excess of the original estimate in connection with the project to construct a High Court building in Nagaland.
A press release from the NTC on Tuesday cited RTI disclosure while stating that from 2009 till March 2017, the state government has executed 18 withdrawals in connection with the project; accumulating a total of Rs. 52.63 crore as against the original estimate of Rs. 43 crore.“The new High Court building project for the state of Nagaland was approved by the government and for which foundation stone was laid at Meriema by the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, Brijesh Kumar in 2007.
In the same year, similar foundation stones were laid for other 3 states namely, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura. The aforementioned 3 states had completed the projects and already established their respective separate High Courts since 2013.“Whereas, through RTI we have detected that Rs. 43 crore was estimated for the said project at Meriema. During 2009-2014, i.e, in 5 years period, the department of Law and Justice had drawn Rs. 41.62 crores and for the period from 2015 to 2017 an amount of Rs. 11.25 crores was drawn against the project.
There had been 18 drawals from 2009 to March 2017, and the amount came to the tune of 52.63 crores as against the original estimate of Rs. 43 crores,” it informed. The “amazement”, according to the NTC, was that despite ‘this huge amount being incurred’ thus far, ‘only 35%’ of works have been completed. “Besides, the department of Law and Justice has resorted to availing loan from HUDCO for the same project.
The NTC is highly perplexed to observe that the legal fraternity has opted to watch such questionable developments under their nose in silence. “We are raising the issue as the state is deprived of a separate High Court denying the rightful citizens of their benefits and facilities due to irresponsible behaviour of the people in authority,” it stated.
