The Centre has given Nagaland an “interim reprieve” to proceed with land acquisition under the Nagaland Land (Requisition and Acquisition) Act, 1965, for the proposed widening of NH-202 from single lane to two lanes, Deputy Chief Minister T R Zeliang said.
The development follows a meeting Zeliang held with senior officials of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in New Delhi on August 19, where the proposed widening of NH-202 and other major road projects, including NH-329A, NH-702A and the Foothill Road, were discussed.
According to Zeliang, a major impediment to the sanctioning of NH-202 had been the question of which legislation should govern land acquisition – the National Highways Act, 1956, or Nagaland’s 1965 State Act.
The State Government had maintained its reservations about applying the National Highways Act in view of the constitutional safeguards under Article 371(A).
Zeliang said MoRTH has now permitted the State to proceed with land acquisition under the State Act, describing the decision as an “interim reprieve”.
However, the NH-202 project has not yet received final sanction.
Another issue discussed was the Detailed Project Report (DPR). Zeliang said MoRTH had agreed to accept the DPR already submitted despite certain technical deficiencies identified by the Ministry.
The remaining technical modifications can be carried out in consultation with the State-appointed consultant and MoRTH engineers, he said.
This, according to Zeliang, would avoid appointing a new DPR consultant, which could have required fresh surveys and several months of additional work.
“The present arrangement will help expedite the process towards finalization and sanction,” he said.
Zeliang appealed for the remaining technical issues in the DPR to be resolved at the earliest so that the project can proceed towards approval by the Union Cabinet.
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The proposed NH-202 widening is particularly significant for Tuensang, Shamator and Kiphire, where residents have long faced difficulties because of the condition of the existing single-lane highway.
Zeliang said the minor maintenance and improvement works currently being undertaken are temporary and do not provide the long-term solution required for the region.
He expressed confidence that the State-appointed consultant, working with MoRTH engineers and technical officers, would resolve the remaining issues and enable the Ministry to move forward with the formalities for sanction of the project.
