Z Lohe
The local media on 2.5.15 carried the announcement of Sri. Gadkari, Union Minister for Transport and Highways, GOI that 4-lane road between Dimapur-Kohima has been approved. ubsequently, the Govt. of Nagaland has too announced the constitution of a two-tier committees to monitor the implementation of few projects including the said 4-lane road.
I am indeed impatient to ride a 4-lane road in Nagaland in my life time. I hope this time, it does become the second hoax as was with former PM Vajpai’s gift. I strongly desire to see that the 4-lane project becomes a reality and not a reverie.
Nevertheless, by practical and personal experience of not long ago, lest people in authority have now changed their attitude, it is impossible to have such road in Nagaland, a Christian State. I personally took interest and privately indulged in peripheral monitoring over two SARDP roads and I saw the ground realities. If at all we have it finally, by all probability, it will be 4-lane namesake road in terms of prescribed quality. Or else it will become like 4 SARDP roads which are left abandon today.
What factors will hamper the successful execution of the project as per the prescribed national standard quality and completion on time will be nothing surprising but the usual and regular fashion in Nagaland.
Those are nothing other than demand for percentage commission and extortion. When fund was released for 4 SARDP roads, there were full of leeches around to suck up the fund dry. I did not come across any concerned authority that remained honest, firm, cooperative and advising the contractors to give quality work. All kind of elements demanded money from contractors in any name under heaven. The contractors were placed under constant pressure, threat and intimidation by both legal and illegal authorities to be lubricated and pleased. The contractors had to shift their office three times in two years stay at Kohima because of insecurity. Few staff of contractors were assaulted too. Physical presence of responsible company officials at work site is indispensable for proper execution of any work. Yet, it was always impossible for them to bear the harassments from those who demanded money. I did not find hardly anyone who did not take advantage to extract extra buck from the gullible contractors. Few of us had to intervene thrice for retrieving the machinery keys seized by rascals as modus operandi for extortion.
I found that Nagas in Nagaland unconsciously but cohesively connived against the proper execution. Under such environment, how any project, be it big or small, becomes a reality in a Christian land.
In Kohima bazaar, people talk about deduction of fund at source. Subject to correction but it is a household talk that 50% to 30% deduction takes place against the release of funds even those under Civil Deposit (CD). The present day fashion appears that there is a spirit of competition between the politicians and the bureaucrats who loots greater amount out of any fund that comes on their way. The Naga ethical principles of Shame, Fear and Taboo are washed down to Brahmaputra along with wastes.
That being the ground reality, it is going to be tough to have the 4-lane road for Dimapur-Kohima because of man-made calamities. It will be possible only when the concerned authorities including those monitoring committees do not behave like a dog to watch over a basket of meat.
