Kohima: Nagaland closed ten infrastructure projects over the past five years. Implementation failures, administrative bottlenecks, and land ownership disputes forced the cancellations. The state government disclosed these figures in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly this past Thursday.
Advisor Achumbemo Kikon pushed the government for answers. He demanded to know why funds were frequently surrendered. Projects stalled for years. One Dimapur transport complex sat idle from 2016 to 2020 because of site clearance issues. Kikon asked if the problems stemmed from red tape or contractor incompetence.
Landowner disputes remain a persistent barrier. The Jandang-Saddle-Noklak-Pangsha-Tuensang road project and the Noklak-Thonoknyu road both faced major setbacks from local compensation demands and alignment arguments. Natural disasters made matters worse. Prolonged monsoon rains and landslides repeatedly hammered road work across the state.
Financial penalties hit the state hard. Nagaland had to refund Rs 1,570.97 lakh for the Jandang-Saddle-Noklak-Pangsha-Tuensang project. The Kohima-Leike Road Junction to Barak project saw Rs 1,534.25 lakh returned to New Delhi. Another Rs 101.67 lakh was sent back to the North Eastern Council for a school project in Mokokchung. Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang noted that the state's pending sanctions reached 11 percent, far exceeding the 3 to 5 percent threshold. He said, "The Union Finance Ministry, MoRTH and donor ministries had repeatedly questioned Nagaland’s capacity to spend funds when previously sanctioned projects remained incomplete and utilisation and completion certificates had not been submitted."
The state stopped receiving Central Road Infrastructure Fund support for several years. Officials hope closing the ten projects will lower the backlog and restore eligibility. Four or five new projects have already been approved. Road and Bridges Minister Kaito G Aye added that some projects struggled for fourteen years before reaching foreclosure. The government now mandates that work orders should be issued by July to maximize the construction season.
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