DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 21 (MExN): The Khiamniungan Students’ Union (KSU) has demanded a halt to the withdrawal of machinery and release of substantial or final payments to contractors involved in road development works in Noklak district until concerns raised during the 9th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) session are examined and resolved.
The KSU in a press release said the concerns, observations and remarks raised during the Assembly session regarding the closure of road development works in Noklak required proper verification and scrutiny. The union demanded that no action be taken that could “prejudice, compromise, or frustrate” the verification of the concerned road projects.
The KSU specifically demanded that machinery, equipment, vehicles and other project-related assets deployed for road construction in the district should not be transferred, relocated, withdrawn or removed from project sites without prior intimation to the union and proper justification.
It said any movement of machinery should be backed by valid technical and contractual reasons and should not compromise the execution, inspection, measurement, verification or completion of the works.
The union also demanded that no final, substantial or consequential payment to contractors for the road projects under question be processed or released without physical verification and certification of the works. It further sought to be informed before the release of such payments, particularly for projects currently under scrutiny.
According to the KSU, verification should cover the actual physical progress, quality and specifications of the works, measurements, contractual obligations, utilisation of machinery and resources, and relevant project records, in accordance with government rules, technical standards and contractual conditions.
The union insisted that works should not be certified solely on the basis of records, claims or departmental documentation without corresponding physical verification at the project site.
“Measurements, completion records, bills, and other relevant documentation must accurately reflect the actual work executed on the ground,” it stated, adding that public funds should be released only after prescribed verification, measurement, certification and approval procedures are completed.
The KSU further said premature withdrawal of machinery, certification of incomplete or inadequately executed works, or release of substantial contractor payments without proper verification would raise concerns over transparency and accountability.
It demanded that the competent authorities fix responsibility wherever irregularity, negligence, procedural violation or failure to comply with applicable rules is established.
The union said it would continue to monitor the progress, quality, execution and implementation of the concerned road projects in Noklak district. It added that the matter would be pursued through “appropriate democratic, administrative, statutory, and legal channels” wherever necessary.
The KSU also called on the Public Works Department (Roads & Bridges) and other concerned authorities to ensure transparency, accountability, technical integrity and adherence to government rules, contractual obligations and established procedures.
