Skip to content Skip to navigation

Golden bridge in Nagaland!

By AT News Dimapur |

Yet another multi crore scam rattles Nagaland which, if proved, is bound to put dozens of top ranked bureacrats, PWD engineers and contractors in dire trouble. The scam to the tune of ₹5709 crore centres around the construction of a bridge over the Tizit river on Mon-Tizit Road.

According to Action Committee Against Unabated Taxation, which claimed to have unearthed the scam called it a case of blatant corruption that rocked

“The State Finance Department (Budget & Monitoring Cell) had released a whopping amount of ₹5709.94 lakhs in 2016 & 2017 for construction of the single bridge,” said the influential organization.

They claimed to have an access to evidence that initially, , ₹2854.97 lakh was released on April 17, 2017 under “Non Developmental” against construction of the same bridge where the drawal limit was valid till April 20, 2017. 

But another drawal authority for the same project again released ₹2854.97 lakh on May 29, 2017. The order to  release the amount was issued in supersession of the earlier order dated 17 April 2017. 

“₹28.54 Cr was allowed to be drawn on or before April 20, 2017, the Finance Department issuing such belated supersession order raises a lot of questions and points to blatant corruption since this so-called supercession order in effect allows two withdrawals amounting to ₹ 57,09,94,000 Cr,” ACAUT observed. 

Strangely, the project is under EE PWD (R&B) in Mon while, the drawal authority was issued in favour of EE PWD (R&B) Kohima South Division which suggests the exercise a fictitious one. 

The two release orders issued in April 17 and May 29, 2017 were under “Non-Developmental,” which is unheard of. According to the organization, as per RTI informations, expenditures are incurred under Non-Plan/State Plan/CSS etc but “Non-Developmental” is a new term coined by the authorities to simply fool the public and draw public money. 

They maintain that with the roads in Nagaland at a very deplorable condition, the government drawing fictitious bills over the same project repeatedly is a criminal offense. 

On the other hand, the clearance of pending bills would indicate that the construction of the bridge has been completed. However, surprisingly, amount of ₹ 1251.90 was released on October 20, 2016 against clearance of pending bills for “Construction of 34.00M Long Steel Concrete Composite bridge over river Tikang on Mon-Tizit Road”

“If the clearance of pending bills alone could amount to more than ₹ 12 crore then the earlier amount paid for construction of the bridge could well run into hundreds of crores of rupees,” said the organization.

ACAUT asked the authorities to publish the names of the engineers, contractors and firms involved in the entire process.

If further asked PWD authority to justify the bridge construction and the amount involved it before moving police with a formal complaint and asked chief minister TR Zeliang to freeze the amount released against the project.

  • 6730 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Vehicles seized in Kohima

The Kohima police seized two vehicles at interstate check gate at Khuzama on Wednesday. According to police, during routine frisking and checking of vehicles, they intercepted two bolero’s bearing No. AS-01BB-2587 and MN-01X-1859 on suspicion. In the process of checking, the Engine and Chassis no. of the Bolero B/R MN-01X-1859 were found to be tampered.The driver of the AS-01BB-2587 Bolero failed to produce valid vehicle documents. Identified as Anil Kumar Gupta  from Bihar and Khrishna Sah  from the same state were taken into police custody. A regular case No. 0042/2015 U/S 379 IPC has been registered against them for conducting further investigation.  

Relief for landslide-hit families

Superintendent of police in Mon district Yangba Konyak along with SDPO Tia visited Tanlao ward and donated Rs. 50,000 as relief to the affected families and Rs. 15,000, to the Edith Douglas School. The SP handed over the cash relief to the Ward President and the Principal Edith Douglas School respectively at old Edith Douglas School compound on Wednesday in the presences of GBs, Ward leaders and public of Tanlao ward.Yangba lauded the unity, support and cooperation of the colony people exhibited in times of such tragedy especially for not hampering the regular classes of the Edith Douglas School despite complete damage of the School building, shifting and alternative arrangement of the...

Spotlight on Ruzaphema village

Rüzaphema, the name of a village situated at a distance of 20 kms from Dimapur town has drawn the attention of all when a new government school came up.  Commissioner and secretary for school education FP Solo opened the new middle school in the village bringing a ray of hope for many childens.Solo complimented the SMC chairman and the village council for support and co-operation in the education sector by way of sponsoring teachers and monitoring the functioning of GMS.“If such kind of initiatives is taken in the GPS/GMS, we will see a lot of improvement in the field of education in Nagaland”, he maintained and said that GMS, Rüzaphema should be an example to be emulated. ...

Assam Rifles DG visits Kohima

The newly appointed Director General Assam Rifles HJS Sachdev completed his two days visit to Kohima on Wednesday. During his maiden visit, top ranked army officials apprised him of the prevailing situation in Nagaland. Major General M S Jaswal apprised him of the steps to provide a conducive situation for the government to function normally. He was also briefed on the various civic action projects that have been executed as well as those planned to be executed in the financial year, along with initiatives undertaken to enhance job opportunities, education and sports facilities for the people of Nagaland. Then he visited the ‘C Hill’ Post of 19 Assam Rifles and complimented all...

Army recruitment rally in Kohima

Recruitment rally for soldier general duty, soldier tradesman, clerk and store keeper is slated for November 4 and 8 in Kohima. Online registration is going on. In this connection interested youth from all the districts in the state have been informed to apply for the rally on army websitewww.jionindianarmy.nic.in before October 22.

Kidima, Addax win in NSF trophy

Tiema-khe Kidima and Addax FC Kohima sailed into next round in the NSF Martyrs memorial football trophy in Kohima on Wednesday.Tiema-khe Kidima beat Veracious FC Phek by 3-1 goals. Sorhoiil Pucho opened the account in 20 minute while he scored the second goal in 34 minute. The third goal came from Kevisekho in 62 minute. Wwsheko Mero scored the lone goal for Veracious in 2 minute. Sorhosiil Pucho of Tiema-khe and Weshekho Mero of Veracious were caution for unsporting behavior.

Ravaing inferno in Dimapur

Properties worth crores of rupees reduced to ashes when a devastating inferno wreaked no less havoc in Dimapur on Wednesday. The fire which originated inside a small house near the Blue Hills counter on the Golaghat Road in the morning spread to the adjacent buildings at an incredible speed striking panic in the entire commercial capital town of Nagaland.Fire tenders arrived on the spot to deal with the situation. But by then the inferno ravaged 17 houses including an almirah factory. There was no casualty. But a person sustained burn injury in the incident as he was believed to have been trying to extinguish the fire in its initial stage. Identified as Bhojen Singh from Manipur, he is...

Exempt Nagaland oil blocks

Nagaland is dead opposed to the Centre’s move to auction the old oil blocks in the north eastern region. Chief Minister, TR Zeliang is firm on his stand against the oil block auction.According to the chef minister, it would have an adverse effect on the Naga peace process forcing him to request the Centre to reconsider its decision. In his recent letter to petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan, he said there are a few oil blocks located in Nagaland to be opened for competitive bidding.He said the state has framed the Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulations 2012 and the Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules 2012 in accordance with Article 371-A(1) (a) of the Constitution of India,...

Naga girls facing Delhi

Nagaland Under-17 girls will play with Delhi a day after they thrashed Gujarat a whooping 13-0 goals at the Subroto Mukerjee football cup at Delhi on Tuesday. The Indira Gandhi Stadium Sports Academy Football Girls team on Monday was given walkover as the Sri Lankan team failed to turn up for the match.The goal scorers were Neichutuo-ii netted five goals, Akhala booted home three goals, Lam netted two goals and one goal each were scored by Vizovonuo, Shangki and Abeino.

NCP axes Semdok as convener

The Nationalist Congress Party has removed TL Semdok from the post of Convener President of Nagaland and also withdrawn all official assignments given earlier to TS Semdok.The NCP said the step to remove TL Semdok was necessitated as Er Semdok has instructed the counsel to withdraw the SLP No. 3335/2015 pending in the Supreme Court without consulting the National President or the party officials at the headquarters in New Delhi. The NCP said Semdok is being replaced by the newly appointed convener of Nagaland State NCP, Miathou Krose as the Petitioner in the above said case.