[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he social work conducted along the Dobhinullah-Signal-Thakhehu-Rangapahar road on April 21 comes as a wake-up call to the state government. Complaints about bad roads are never a new phenomenon. However, roads in the commercial hub, Dimapur were in a state of virtual creek when it rains in the absence of proper drainages and dusty freak as if riding in desert sand dunes when it is dry. Obviously, lack of civic sense and ‘Who Cares’ attitude of the people also compound the woes. The initiative of giving a facelift to the depleted stretch of road by filling potholes by members of thirteen villages along with Line Auto Driver’s Welfare is a writing on the wall of people’s limit of toleration which can not be taken lightly. Perhaps, having waited for so long yearning for a good ride, people were angry and finally rise in resentment against the government for neglecting road, which is also one of the district’s commercial arteries.The villages have in a memorandum submitted to Kuzholuzo (Azo) Neinu, PWD (Roads & Bridges) minister, cautioned that the public of the area will no longer tolerate if the government does not address the plight of the people within one month. The facelift to the two and half kilometer road has delivered somehow a respite to the commuters albeit on temporary basis. Rainy season is approaching. How long the dust filled potholes can it withstand the monsoon rains? The initiative of Naga Blog, a social network group of Naga youth which voices concerns the Nagas, sick of commuting in muddy and potholed roads which took to plant paddy on the roads across the state in summer 2012 is still vivid. Why roads are in such a pitiable condition for so long? Blame game continues unabated between the NPF-led DAN government and the Congress. While Congress accused the DAN government of failing to deliver the good to the public, the latter felt that the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre treated ‘step-motherly’ to Nagaland leaving no money to spare for road infrastructure and maintenance. General people opine the Border Road Organization (BRO) has shares for the poor road condition of the NH running through Nagaland. The state BJP recently accused BRO of shoddy work and discontinuing the road maintenance. But state Governor Ashwani Kumar revealed that the BRO has been forced to stop work for the time being with the Centre not releasing funds. The Governor in his revelation to BJP leaders recently said the Centre has sanctioned funds only for the 38-km stretch. Only for 38 kms while a stretch of a little more than a hundred kms of NH-39 passes through Nagaland. Perhaps, there is an element of truth in what the DAN government said about the Centre government’s attitude. Despite acute fund crunch, PWD minister took a bold step to repair the roads and drainages. But this is not enough. There is much room for improvement. In 2013, tourists in thousand flocked into Nagaland to witness the Hornbill Festival. But the poor road infrastructure has created bad impression and this may cause a poor tourist climate in the years to come. The state cannot afford to loose tourists when it intends to make Nagaland a tourist destination through culture.
