Nagaland: Rising People's Party slams PWD for issuing 'Completion Certificates' to contractor for unfinished work

The Rising People's Party (RPP) questions the Executive Engineer (EE) PWD (R&B), Phek district, as to what motivated him to issue the Completion Certificates to a contractor when the facts are otherwise. 

Armed with so-called Completion Certificates issued by the Executive Engineer (EE) PWD (R&B), Phek district, a contractor supposedly constructing roads at 3 places under Meluri Sub-division, has filed an affidavit in the High Court, Kohima Bench, stating that the 3 projects are almost complete. 

This claim is false and an attempt to mislead the court, claims RPP. 

The RPP had filed an FIR in the Meluri Police station against the then E.E. and the contractor on the basis of a fraudulent 100 per cent Completion Certificate issued by the former. Given the background of massive fraudulent withdrawal amounting to Rs 92, 39,27,000, the present E.E. should have been careful and circumspect enough not to stir the hornet’s nest given the sensitivity of the case. 

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According to RPP, in the contractor's Completion Certificate, the present E.E. has certified that “Akhen to Starlake” (1st work order) is 90% completed as of 9th September 2023. This is blatantly false. The earth-cutting work is still incomplete and haphazard even after the lapse of 12 years and the whole stretch of this road is un-motorable. 

Regarding “Lephori to Molhe Post” (2nd Work-order) the Completion Certificate states that this road is 75% completed. How can the road be 75 per cent completed when work on this stretch is yet to start? The E.E. is requested to educate himself by visiting the area and check the overlapping of the project works which has led to this particular work being abandoned. 

Lastly regarding “T.01 (Akash Bridge) to Kanjang”, the Completion Certificate avers that 93% of the work has been completed. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Out of the 38 km work project, at least 40% is yet to be black-topped. Apart from the lipstick blacktopping, the contractor has yet to build culverts, retaining and breast walls, and side drains. So how did the E.E. arrive at the 93% figure? 

The E.E. Phek Division issued the Completion Certificate with malafide intent. He is reminded that the public of Meluri has been suffering on account of corruption. Roads which should have been completed within 18 months have stretched to 12 years and instead of expediting the matter, that he has become a stumbling block is a matter of condemnation. The E.E. should immediately rectify the Completion Certificate and withdraw it as well from the Hon’ble High Court, Kohima Bench. Failure to comply may compel the RPP to file a complaint against him.