Rs 442 lakh sanctioned, only 65% work done; Demand joint technical inspection within 10 days
The Chungtia Village Council and Chungtia Students’ Union (CSU) on Monday jointly carried out a verification of the ongoing construction of the 50-bedded Integrated AYUSH Hospital at Sabangya, Mokokchung, and subsequently served an ultimatum to the Department of Health & Family Welfare over delays and alleged poor workmanship.
The ultimatum demanded that “all construction activities must cease immediately and shall remain suspended until further notice.” It also insisted that a Joint Technical Inspection of the building be conducted in the presence of departmental engineers within 10 days.
The AYUSH Hospital project, sanctioned under the National AYUSH Mission Scheme, began construction in December 2019 but has since faced repeated delays. Quality concerns have now been formally raised by the village bodies.
In a letter addressed to the Principal Director, Health & Family Welfare, the CSU stated: “As per the RTI Report, a total amount of Rs 442.91 lakhs has been sanctioned till date to the Medical Engineering Division from AYUSH section for the project.”
It further noted that work orders—No. MED/ENG/TB/WO/2017-18/377-78 dated March 5, 2019, and another issued on July 20, 2023—were given to KC Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd. for construction of the ground floor within 24 months and installation of water supply and sanitation within 6 months.
“However, as per the report, the construction of the hospital has only reached 65% progress till date, despite the work order being issued over 6 years ago. We express our concern and disappointment over this prolonged delay, which has left such an essential hospital incomplete and unable to serve the people in need,” the Union said.
The CSU and Village Council also alleged “deficiencies in workmanship” and warned that such lapses “raise serious concerns regarding the structural integrity and serviceability of the building.”
They cautioned that even if completed, “the compromised quality may lead to premature deterioration or potential failure, thereby posing significant risks to public safety and to all prospective users of the hospital facilities.”
Calling for a technical review, the Union insisted that the inspection must include “tests such as Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity, Rebound Hammer, and Core Cut Sampling, in order to verify the quality of construction.”
It further warned: “In the absence of such technical tests, any assessment or assumption made by the Union regarding the structural soundness of the hospital shall be considered final and binding from our end.”
The Union cautioned that if the inspection results confirm substandard construction, it “will be constrained to explore further courses of action, for which it shall not be held accountable for any consequences arising thereafter.”
Talking to the press, Zaongtoshi, Convenor of the Chungtia Students’ Union, said that the Chungtia Village Council had written a letter to the Department of Health & Family Welfare in December 2023 but received no response. In November 2024, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Paiwang Konyak, also visited the site. However, he said, there was no communication with the CVC and the CSU. Since 2024, the two bodies have been monitoring the construction and have noticed “substandard workmanship.”
He further informed that while the Village Council had earlier flagged the issue and initiated some repairs, they were not satisfied with the quality of the repairing works. “As a result, we have issued an ultimatum to the department to conduct a joint inspection,” he said.
“Since the beginning of 2025, we have been monitoring, but we have not come across the site engineer even once, so we have not been able to communicate with them,” Zaongtoshi added.
