Kohima: The Khiamniungan Students’ Union (KSU) wants the truth about two stalled road projects in Noklak district. The union rejected claims made during the Nagaland Legislative Assembly session regarding why the work stopped. They demand concrete proof.
The projects include the 31 km Chendang Saddle to Pangsha Road (Phase-II) and the 59 km Noklak to Thonoknyu via Sanglao route. Officials suggested land compensation disputes killed the progress. The KSU calls this a lie. They checked with village leaders and the PWD (Roads and Bridges) Executive Engineer in Noklak and found no records of land issues stalling the work.
The union demands a full accounting. They want to know exactly which villages asked for compensation and how much money was at stake. They also want a list of every contractor involved, how much cash the state spent, and who signed off on the project closures. The group is furious about the refund of Rs 1,570.97 lakh for the Chendang Saddle to Pangsha project. That road has sat unfinished for 14 years.
KSU leaders pointed out that the public provided stones and free labor to help build the Chendang Saddle to Noklak road in 2022. They refuse to let local people take the blame for departmental incompetence. The union stated, "Any attempt to attribute the non-execution or closure of these projects to alleged land compensation issues must be supported by clear and verifiable documentary evidence."
Nature is not the only problem. While landslides and rain are tough, the union says these hurdles do not explain total failure. They are now calling for the government to ban contractors who abandoned their work or performed poorly. The KSU remains ready for an open discussion with the government and contractors. They insist that local residents should not be made "a scapegoat" for the collapse of critical infrastructure.
Comments