Nagaland Congress and Dimapur District Citizens’ Forum (DDCF) on Monday appealed to the authorities concerned to repair roads and complete the under-construction roads in Dimapur as well as the state.
In a release, state Congress president K. Therie urged Nagaland governor RN Ravi to constitute a coordination committee, comprising representatives of all departments concerned and contractors, to repair the serviceable roads in the state.
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Therie expressed concern over the dilapidated condition of the busiest road of Nagaland and Manipur, NH-29, which is currently under-construction.
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He said the state roads have been cut off for years, creating intolerable inconveniences to the house owners, colonies, traders and travellers, who are plagued by air pollution, accidents and traffic jams.
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The pitiable roads are also causing price rise and slowdown of economy, he added.
He said the contractors and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL) appeared to be “short of courtesy to fellow citizens” while the administration is clueless about the situation.
Therie said the government did not realise that bad roads are destroying the citizens’ economy.
He said the government has not taken steps to ensure serviceable roads to keep the growth of economy on track and the convenience and safety of commuters and travellers.
“In the given situation, I am worried about the image of Nagaland before the world,” he said.
The tourists to the Hornbill Festival in December will once again announce to the world about the pathetic road conditions in the state and may even call it the worst road in the world, he said.
“It will reflect not only on the government but also on the public for having chosen such a government,” Therie added.
The DDCF said the roads in many stretches in Dimapur have been neglected for so long that some of them are not even walkable and have become worse than many roads in rural areas.
Forum president Y. Kikon and general secretary Richard Haolai, in a release, said Dimapur being the commercial hub caters to the needs of people even from the neighbouring states.
But the town is left without proper roads and bridges as if there exists no government or competent authority that cares, the forum said.
The forum requested the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to repair such roads at the earliest.
It also took serious note of the ‘snail pace’ of work of the construction of Dhansiri river bridge connecting Walford and Purana Bazar.
It asked the government if a time limit was set for the completion of the bridge in the DPR.