Kohima: The ongoing construction of the Dimapur-Kohima four-lane road is likely to be completed by March next year, said Nagaland’s lone Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Tokheho Yepthomi.
Yepthomi took to Twitter to inform that the union minister for Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) Nitin Gadkari has assured completion of the four-lane road by March 31.
The MP also said that the contractors of the ongoing works have assured to complete the blacktopping of two-lane by the fifteenth of this month.
He informed that due to the slow progress of the work, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) has imposed a financial penalty on the contractors.
The construction work is undertaken by two construction firms–M/s ECI Engineering & Construction corporation limited and M/s Gayatri Projects limited. With a total length of 42.48 Km, the project was approved at a cumulative cost of around Rs 1570.71 crore which was approved in 2013 and initiated in 2015.
Taking to Twitter, Yepthomi tweeted: “Hon’ble Union Minister @nitin_gadkari ji has conveyed to me the assurance of Contractors for Dmp-Khm road to finish 2 lane black topping by 15th Dec 2020 and 4 Lane by 31st Mar 2021. Due to slow progress of works, @nhidcl has imposed financial penalty on the contractors.”
Also Read: NSF condemns Nagaland governor RN Ravi’s statehood day greetings
In October last year, Yepthomi wrote a letter to Gadkari apprising him of the slow progress of the ongoing four-lane road construction. Yepthomi had said that this is the “most important road in the state”.
The ongoing 4-lane road construction at NH 29 along the Dimapur-Kohima route has also been disrupting vehicular traffic along the stretch from time to time, even leading to landslides.
In January this year, Nagaland governor RN Ravi met Gadkari to review the NHIDCL projects in the state. Following the meet, although Gadkari directed the NHIDCL to provide appropriate technical solutions and ensure that adequate slope protection measures are taken along the said highway, landslides have been reported along the stretch.
Later in November this year, leader of opposition TR Zeliang wrote to the executive director of the NHIDCL Manmohan Singh Deol seeking clarification on the ongoing Dimapur-Kohima 4-lane construction works.
Zeliang had asked the NHIDCL to immediately investigate if the contractors were taking up works as per specification including use of certified quality stone-gravels and threatened investigation by the CBI if the NHIDCL does not look into the matter.
