Pochury Hoho accuses contractor of threatening Meluri area leaders, seeks unconditional apology

Our Reporter

Dimapur, May 28 (EMN): The Pochury Hoho, apex body of the Pochury community, has levelled allegations against the contractor and proprietor of M/S Rhino Construction, for not executing three contract works under Meluri sub-division in Phek district, as well as threatening and intimidating the area leaders.

General Secretary of Pochury Hoho, Thosiepa told Eastern Mirror that it had come to the knowledge of the Hoho that three work orders had been awarded to contractor Lhousakuolie Metha (L Metha), the proprietor of M/S Rhino Construction. He said that the contractor has not executed the work but the “main focus is the threat and intimidation to the Pochury (people) as a whole”.

He shared that the areas concerned had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding the contract works.

He stated that the contract was awarded to Metha ‘long time ago’ but there was no proper execution of work. So, the area people ‘were appealing to the contractor and department to execute the work as per the specifications, but till now, they have not responded’.

Out of the three projects given to him, some were ‘done little, and some were not done but the whole money is said to have been withdrawn’, he added.

In its condemnation letter issued on Friday, the Pochury Hoho stated that Metha was awarded three contract works under Meluri sub-division, namely Lephori to Molhe (26 km), Akhen to Star Lake (15 km) and T01 (Akash Bridge) to Kanjang (38 km) under PWD (R&B) Phek Division, against which funds have been drawn without executing the works.

It claimed that the people of the area had been appealing to the contractor for proper execution of works per specification, but instead of heeding, ‘the contactor has been threatening and intimidating the area leaders’.

“During the meeting between the contractor and public leaders held on 23rd February 2020 at Lephori village, the contractor went to the extent of threatening the Pochury citizens living in Kohima. The same threat was repeated on 12th Oct. 2020 and 11th Oct. 2021 at Akhen village,” it stated.

It added that a similar incident happened on April 29, 2022, in the office chamber of the Chief Engineer (R&B), when the public leaders comprising village council chairman (VCC) — Zarpa Katiry (VCC Lephori), Jonjang (VCC Kanjang), Wilson Katiry (VCC Matikhrü) and Kezüwete Wezah of Chizami village — went to lodge an official complaint against the contractor for not executing the works.

It claimed that “the contractor again attempted to manhandle the leaders and threatened with dire consequences in the presence of the Chief Engineer. He abused the leaders verbally and called up some youths with ill-motives. Fortunately, the leaders managed to escape before the youths arrived.”

In view of this, the Pochury Hoho and Pochury Hoho Kohima have vehemently condemned the ‘barbaric behaviour’ of Metha and demanded an unconditional apology. It also stated that ‘in the event of any harm upon the bonafide members of the Pochury community in connection with the case, Metha will be held responsible and the Pochury Hoho will take its own course of action at the appropriate time’.