‘Public not responsible for state’s fund status’
Dimapur, September 22 : The Tizit Area Students’ Union has appealed to the Nagaland government to make the Tizit-to-Mon road ‘all weather.’ The union issued a press release on Thursday lamenting that the Namtola-Mon road, a vital link, remains in ‘pathetic and terrible’ in spite of hue and cry over the years from the public.
“The people are slowly losing faith in the competency and responsibility of the state government. It is also to be noted that the public are not responsible for the current financial status of the state government,” the organization stated in the press release.
“The so called state highway is turning into a river like condition taking lives out of the travellers. The pathetic state of the road is especially affecting light motor vehicle users and especially auto rickshaw at Tizit which most of the Tizit populace are dependent for daily communication. Moreover, it is risky for people travelling with urgent medical needs,” the union stated in lament.
Declaring that the ‘role of government’ is to provide basic amenities to the public with the public money ‘including tax payer’s money,’ the organization said that the government of Nagaland had “failed the district of Mon and its inhabitants miserably.”
The ‘main’ road for Mon has been neglected for more than a decade, the Tizit students said. “It makes the right thinking citizen to wonder what the legislatures are actually doing. Were not you all elected with the responsibilities to look after public welfare? For public, owning a car only adds more to the monthly expenditure,” the press release stated.
The union also demanded that the ‘contractor of inter-state connectivity road’ from Tizit headquarters to Nokzang complete work ‘as per DPR norms though the stipulated period has expired.’ It also asked the contractor of the ‘North East Council road’ from Tizit to Nokyan “be handed over to the PWD for immediate repair and maintenance before the road becomes deplorable beyond repair.”
PWD work and funds questioned
Further, the organization has placed before the Public Works Department of Mon a number of queries “to answer” in regard to the Tizit-Nokyan Road (13.00 km) under the PM’s package(2004-2005).
The union asked why the work was not undertaken ‘after some few meters of earth cutting only w the concerned dept. has already released an amount of Rs. 1,20,42,255.00 (one core twenty lakhs forty two thousand, two hundred fifty five) as first running bill, Rs. 33,10,748.00 (thirty three lakhs, ten thousand seven hundred forty eight) as second running bill and Rs. 1,50,00000 (one crore fifty lakhs) approximately as third running bill out of the total approved amount of Rs. 4,72,00000.00 (four crores seventy two lakhs) to the M/S S. Semp & Co. contractor under work order. no. EE/Mon/TB-5 2004-05/897-906/ Dated Mon the 21st March 2006?’
The union said it “shall take this matter seriously in collaboration with the apex body Konyak Students’ Union against the concerned dept. in case of non completion of this work as per the DPR norms and standard before December 2016.”
For effect, the Tizit organization said that the deplorable condition of the roads is ‘why offices are short of officers and institutions,’ not to forget the impact on the ‘economy of Mon district and various sub-divisions linked to it.’
Accusing the state’s government of negligence ‘for far too long’ and refusing the community’s concerns, the union has asked the authorities to “wake up to this and respond positively before the public can no longer bear the step motherly treatment meted out on them.”
The TASU said to have appealed to the authorities seeking intervention. The response, however, it stated, ‘has not been satisfying.’
“The state government had previously sanctioned a meagre amount for the same which could only be used for sand gravelling. This has only made it far worse because of rain and lack of maintenance. Therefore, in view of this, the TASU is demanding that all weather road from Tizit to Mon be constructed according to highway norms and standards,” the press release said.
Also, questioning the state’s government over “what good things and development will they talk about,” the union had asked the nine legislators from Mon district to ‘wake up from their deep slumber’ and address the issues at hand “if you are for the people of Mon district.”
