The Chakhesang Public Organization (CPO) and the CPO 2 Lane Committee overseeing the Kohima-Jessami road project have expressed dissatisfaction over delays and poor quality of work by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and its EPC contractors. In a strongly worded statement, the CPO called for strict compliance with commitments to ensure timely progress and quality standards of the project.
The CPO emphasized that the Kohima-Jessami road serves as the “sole life belt for socioeconomic developments and livelihood” in the region. They highlighted that, in the interest of public welfare, the organization had extended “fullest cooperation and support” to the NHIDCL and contractors to facilitate the timely completion of the project. However, citing “lackadaisical attitudes, slow progress, and poor workmanship,” the CPO expressed its “displeasure and dissatisfaction over their broken commitment and flip-flop approaches.”
The organization also criticized NHIDCL and the contractors for failing to act on “several pressures, appeals, and meetings” regarding proper road maintenance and project progress. According to the CPO, assurances provided by the contractors have remained “dormant,” resulting in deteriorated road conditions that have “tested public patience to the limit.” The CPO highlighted that the Chakhabama stretch, including Packages 1 and 2, has been “abandoned for years,” causing severe inconvenience and public chaos.
The CPO urged NHIDCL to arrange “workable advance releases” of funds to ensure that contractors can meet project requirements more efficiently. They pointed out that the poor road conditions have led to “several accidents, loss of lives, and public resources,” which could warrant legal action. However, they noted, “our people, for want of good roads, have tolerated them all.”
The organization further reminded contractors of the commuters’ “right to avail free passage and safety” during road construction as per legal provisions. They appealed for immediate maintenance efforts, including the clearance of blocked drains and landslide debris along completed stretches, which they noted have “remained untouched for too long.”
In addition, the CPO called on village councils in affected areas to “caution the erroneous miners” responsible for damaging roads due to rampant mining activities. These actions, the organization said, are “causing inconveniences and endangering road safety.”