Dimapur, August 30 (MExN): Expressing discontentment over failure of maintenance of Phek to Chozuba road, the secretary of Village Development Board, Thuvopisu Village, Phek, Dezoto Rhakho has stated that the 44.360 km road is arguably the oldest road in the district, which was constructed in 1940s but the maintenance carried out by the authority in concern has failed public expectation.
The VDB secretary in a press statement said: “…to make travesty of development on this particular project cannot entirely be attributed on one reason alone. The apathy of the contractor and the implementing agency has a role distinctively as well, as per the RTI report. Now that the public has sought the intervention of an impartial institution to verify the progress of the work. The ball lies in the hands of the Government to see who will be accountable for the impediment of the project.”
Adding that if the leaders in concern were serious about progress, they would have outsourced the development of basic infrastructure like road connectivity long back. “Regrettably, even after significant decades of attaining statehood the villages were left to go back to primitive era, thereby making a wider gap in economical development,” he lamented.
He, however, in the note stated that he does not intend to hurt any individual or party but he wants to point few facts. In October 2007, under the aegis of DAN Government sufficient money were accelerated from the Ministry of DONER under NLCPR for construction of a blacktop road, but has remained by and large the same with insignificant improvement.
He further added that it has been almost two years behind schedule of the time frame after the project was launched. "...the contractor was projected as the victim rather than vise versa as per the version of the E.E (PWD) R&B, Phek", which was published on May 12, 2011 in a local daily.
“This issue is not over words or personal, the focus is on successful implementation of the scheme, therefore, the interest of the public cannot be taken for a ride,” he stated.
The VDB secretary in a press statement said: “…to make travesty of development on this particular project cannot entirely be attributed on one reason alone. The apathy of the contractor and the implementing agency has a role distinctively as well, as per the RTI report. Now that the public has sought the intervention of an impartial institution to verify the progress of the work. The ball lies in the hands of the Government to see who will be accountable for the impediment of the project.”
Adding that if the leaders in concern were serious about progress, they would have outsourced the development of basic infrastructure like road connectivity long back. “Regrettably, even after significant decades of attaining statehood the villages were left to go back to primitive era, thereby making a wider gap in economical development,” he lamented.
He, however, in the note stated that he does not intend to hurt any individual or party but he wants to point few facts. In October 2007, under the aegis of DAN Government sufficient money were accelerated from the Ministry of DONER under NLCPR for construction of a blacktop road, but has remained by and large the same with insignificant improvement.
He further added that it has been almost two years behind schedule of the time frame after the project was launched. "...the contractor was projected as the victim rather than vise versa as per the version of the E.E (PWD) R&B, Phek", which was published on May 12, 2011 in a local daily.
“This issue is not over words or personal, the focus is on successful implementation of the scheme, therefore, the interest of the public cannot be taken for a ride,” he stated.
