Kohima: The Pfutsero Town Business Association has formally requested that the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) in New Delhi launch a high-level review of the Kohima-Jessami Road Package-II. The project, which spans the 21.90-kilometer Chakhabama-Kikruma stretch of NH-29, remains unfinished more than five years after the initial contract was awarded.
Association president Vekusu Chuzho and general secretary Truvi Rhi noted that the project was originally tendered in 2019 and awarded in March 2020. The first contractor, M/s KCPL, was expected to finish the work by mid-2022 but was terminated after reaching only partial progress. A new firm, M/s Ratna Infrastructure Projects Pvt. Ltd., took over the site in October 2023.
Despite the change in management, the project continues to lag behind schedule. NHIDCL monitoring data shows the project sits at roughly 40 percent physical and financial progress, falling short of the expectations for a January 2026 completion date. The business group argued that these figures expose deep flaws in the current supervisory and execution framework.
The poor state of the road has created significant hardships for the local community, including increased transport costs, damaged vehicles, and delayed access for students and farmers. The association is pushing for immediate oversight to ensure the project is finally completed. The group stated that the ongoing struggle "reflected deficiencies in planning, execution, supervision and enforcement at various levels of project implementation."
In their formal request, the association called for a special committee to identify why the project has stalled for so long. They are demanding that officials enforce stricter accountability and implement concrete measures to expedite construction across the Phek district and the surrounding Chakhesang region.
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