CPO holds consultative meet for 2 lane project

KOHIMA, Oct 4 (NPN): For better coordination between villages and landowners and the administration, Chakhesang Public Organization (CPO) convened a consultative meeting on Kohima-Jessami two-lane road with the district administration, law enforcement and implementing agencies and concerned public leaders of villages in Phek district benefitting from the project at Pfutsero Multipurpose Hall on Saturday.

Speaking at the meeting, Planning & Coordination, Land Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs minister Neiba Kronu remarked that while education, water supply and health were important for development, road and power were major indices for development and progress.

Mentioning that road connectivity and power are of paramount importance for Phek district for development and progress, Neiba said, as a legislator of the district and supported by the State government, he approached the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking two-laning of the Kohima-Jessami road as it was the lifeline for Phek.

With National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) Ltd as the implementing agency, he said the project had been sub-contracted as the State’s local contractors were not qualified to take major contracts in the global tenders.

Maintaining that the road passing or touching the villages should consider themselves as benefactors, Neiba said “We are all stakeholders and if we don’t cooperate, it will be our loss.”

He said as village councils, which were recognised by the State government, were the sole authority of the respective villages, they should play a pivotal role of bringing together the landowners so that the development process was not hampered.

On the part of the government, he assured to ensure that the project was completed in a time-bound manner by the implementing agency without any disturbances.

The minister further requested the district administration, CPO and the land survey committee to complete the verification process at the earliest.

Neiba also informed the gathering that several other road projects, including Chozuba-Phek, Phek-Meluri, Lozaphuhu-Avankhu and Pfutsero-Tadubi roads have also been approved and works were under progress.

Stating that Nagaland’s portion of Pfutsero-Tadubi road had already been completed, he requested his counterpart in Manipur to give efforts to complete the other portion of the road.

Supporting the CPO resolution calling for maintaining uniformity of rate of compensation for property damaged without any bias by the implementing agency, Neiba said though no land compensation would be given, the landowners would receive value of the property damaged, including the paddy fields damaged, in the process of road construction.

CPO president Mikha Kenye said the two-lane road construction project from Kohima to Jessami was dear and important for the people of Phek district.

“We cannot allow or tolerate any individual or group with selfish motive to disturb the construction of the road,” he remarked, while appealing to all sections of the people to extend their fullest support and cooperation to the authority concerned and the construction firms and ensure that the project was not disturbed by any person or group, be it over ground or underground.

Kenye also urged the implementing agencies and contractors to ensure that the quality of work was not compromised while strictly executing it as per the prescribed specification.

CPO sub-committee on Kohima–Jessami 2 lane road co-convenor Welete Kapfo said the committee would also supervise for successful implementation of the project.

Phek deputy commissioner Sachin Jaiswal said the district administration was only surveying land while the rates of proper damage compensation were being fixed by a technical team.

He requested the respective village councils to support the survey team with proper data and identification of land owners.

“We are trying to help the villages and land owners to the extent possible, but the village councils have major responsibility in ensuring success of the project,” he added.

The meeting also endorsed the resolution adopted at the joint meeting with all the affected villages and towns on August 29 at Pfutsero that uniformity of rate on compensation for damage property should be maintained without any bias by the implementing agency.

It also reaffirmed the CPO resolution of June 29 at Phek town that barred individuals or a group having any grievance with the ongoing project from approaching the administration, unless routed through its own village/town council.

The meeting also endorsed another resolution that obstruction in any manner, by any village or town, to hamper the developmental activities would not be allowed.

Phek superintendent of police Vesupra Kezo, former CPO president Sovenyi and Timikha Koza, Chakhesang Mothers’ Association president Zhonelü Tunyi, a representative from Chakhesang Youth Front, public leaders and representatives from landowner villages also spoke at the meeting.

Later, interacting with media persons, an NHIDCL official said the Phek portion of 109.32 km Kohima-Jessami road up to Lanye had been subcontracted into five packages and work would start once the compensations were cleared.

While the time for completion of packages 1, 2 and 3 from Kohima to Mesulumi village was two years, packages 4 and 5 from Mesulumi to Lanye was 18 months, he said.

Source: http://www.nagalandpost.com/cpo-holds-consultative-meet-for-2-lane-project/222781.html