Dimapur, March 15 (EMN): The opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) is hoping that the new Neiphiu Rio-led People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) would implement the road development projects for Nagaland the funds for which were announced by the central government recently.
The media bureau of the NPF issued a press release on Thursday asserting that former chief ministers TR Zeliang and Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu’s “persistence and perseverance have paid off.”
The ‘bad’ condition of roads in Nagaland “has always been the main concern” of the then NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government, the party stated.
“Their persistence and perseverance have paid off and the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has finally announced approval of 12 road projects in the state amounting to over Rs 3000 crore which is a record of sorts in itself, and the Naga People’s Front places on record its deep appreciation to the government of India for heeding to its demands.”
Nonetheless, the NPF had a word of appreciation for the Rio-led PDA government announcing on the day of it being sworn in that roads in all the district headquarters would be repaired within 60 days. It is a welcome change and has been received very well by everyone, the NPF stated.
That said, the NPF rubbed in one more: ‘But making an announcement is one thing, and implementing the announcement is quite a different thing altogether considering the bleak fact that there are no funds with the state government.’
The party wondered whether Rio was “going to wave a magic wand and produce new sanctions from thin air” or, among others, “Is he going to let his coterie of contractors” execute the works “without following any procedure or formality.”
‘Instead of finding flimsy excuses to mint money by the coterie of contractors’ supporting the PDA government at the expense of the public, the ‘government of the day should pursue with a missionary zeal the various road projects put up by the previous government with the government of India and bring the proposals to fruition,’ the NPF stated.
The PDA government should ensure that the highway ‘Niuland (Dimapur)-Guzunyu junction (Tseminyu)-Pughoboto-Satakha-Aghunato-Shamatore-Noklak-Pangsha; Dimapur- Kohima capital road (bypass) highway; trans eastern highway connecting Longwa-Pangsha-Mimi and Avangkhu,’ among other proposals, is started immediately without any hindrance and they be completed within the stipulated period, the NPF added.
