Dimapur Town Hall inaugurated after renovation worth Rs 19 Crore

December 18, 2024 5 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 18

Dimapur’s decrepit old Town Hall has been given a fresh new look. Built in the mid 1980s, the renovated 400-seater building got a new façade along with spanking new interiors, complete with reclining chairs, acoustic panels, sound system, digital projector and central air conditioner. It has a ‘green room’ and fresh new washrooms as well, a far cry from its former self.

The renovation came at a projected cost of Rs 19.9 cr, as per the Development Authority of Nagaland (DAN). The major chunk of the fund came from the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment, from which it has received Rs 15.73 cr. The funding from the state government amounted to Rs 2 cr. The total fund received for the project was tipped at Rs 17.73 cr. According to the DAN, 85 percent or Rs 16.91 cr has been released to the contractor.

The work was completed on December 10, 2024, overshooting the original timeframe by 6 months. The work order was issued in June 2023. The project name was ‘Renovation and Modernisation of Town Hall, Dimapur, Nagaland (on EPC mode)’ and the work went to M/s Chabou & Co.

The delay was attributed to a number of factors that included the redesigning of the front façade for incorporating tribal motifs, and demolition of shops at the front to allow the redesigning of the boundary wall and gate. It was added that due to additional load on the building from the front façade modification, a structural stability test had to be conducted midway into the project. It called for reinforcing two columns at the front.

The renovated structure was inaugurated on December 17, with great fanfare by the Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio with a host of his legislator colleagues attending. He termed the work quality as outstanding, meeting national and international standards. “I trust the citizens of Dimapur will appreciate this upgraded facility and use it responsibly, he said.

According to him, the initial plan to demolish and construct an entire new structure. However, the plan was ditched after expert assessment found the old structure stable for renovation. Besides, he said that expansion of the Town Hall was considered during the survey but space limitations led the experts to prioritise renovating and repurposing it.

For sustaining and maintaining, he proposed the formation of a management committee, overseen by the Development Authority of Nagaland, which would function as the proprietor of the Town Hall. Representatives from the district administration, municipal council and local civil society organisations were recommended as members for responsible management and accountability.

Given the sufficient number of employees the DAN has, he said that the DAN should redeploy its personnel for the upkeep of the Town Hall. He added that public infrastructure in Nagaland have long suffered from neglect as they were neither nor modernised.