Rising People’s Party accuses 2 firms of withdrawing INR 65.67 cr. without completing work

Our Reporter
Dimapur, May 24 (EMN): The Rising People’s Party (RPP) has accused M/S Rhino Construction and Agency, and M/S Nagaland Steel Engineering Works of fraudulently withdrawing more than INR 65 crore for two road projects without doing any work.

This was claimed by the president of RPP, Joel Naga, at a press conference in Dimapur on Tuesday.

Joel said that a total of INR 65, 67, 27, 000 sanctioned against two work orders (road projects) namely Akhen to Star Lake (15 km) orders dated April 11, 2011, amounting to INR 569.27 lakh and Lephory to Molhe Post (26 km) are in complete violation of the terms and conditions laid down as per the orders issued dated April 11, 2011 and November 20, 2011 respectively.

The RPP president went on to say that regarding the road project from Lephori to Molhe Post, there was no work was done by M/S Rhino Construction and Agency but the sanctioned amount of INR. 3000 lakh was withdrawn fraudulently by way of issuance of completion certificate dated January 21, 2014.

Secondly, two additional fund of INR 1500 lakh each was sanctioned in 2017 and 2018 respectively and awarded to the same firm and against the same road project. Again a total amount of INR 30 crore was fraudulently withdrawn without any work done, the party allaged.

The RPP Treasurer Vitho Zao also informed that villages under Meluri subdivision had issued an ultimatum to the Chief Engineer (Roads & Bridges) regarding the road project and the representatives from Lephory, Akhen, Kanjang and Matikru villages were called on April 29 by the Chief Engineer for discussion.

In a letter to the Officer-in-Charge of Meluri Police Station, the President of Rising Youth Phek District also raised the issue of non-completion of black-topping from T-01 to Kanjang (38 km) amounting to INR 26.72 crore, which was supposed to be done by M/S Nagaland Steel Engineering Works.

In this regard, the party had requested the police in-charge to register an FIR against the concerned firms and take necessary action.

Demand to shut down sawmill

The RPP president also informed that the party had written a complaint letter to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Nagaland on April 14 to immediately shut down the illegal sawmill (wood-based industry) located at Akhen village and to book the person(s) responsible under relevant sections of the law.

He claimed that the sawmill is not set up in an “industrial estate” as should be according to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (Survey and Utilisation division) Resolution of 2017 for the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.

He added that any sawmill must only be setup with prior approval from the State Level Committee and operational in accordance with the license granted or renewed by an officer authorised by the state government in this regard (DFO or equivalent).

He also accused L Metha of engaging in “felling of trees for the last decade or so” after buying “large tracts of virgin forests in Akhen area contiguous to Burma”.

While demanding the shutdown of the sawmill and take appropriate action, the party has sought response to be intimated to its office within 11 days.