30 Alongtaki A/C Congress General Secretary (Admn), Tinuakum on Sunday flagged multiple development lapses in 30 Alongtaki Assembly Constituency while seeking transparency across key projects.
Interacting with media persons, he stated that the party is “not against anyone” but is seeking accountability “to maintain check and balance.”
He said the party appreciates the various developmental works sanctioned for the constituency. “We want to thank the government and the present MLA for the sanction orders issued for 30 Alongtaki. However, we are confused because some works are unfinished, some are ongoing, and some have not begun despite work orders being released.”
Construction of Medical Rest House at Merangmen Block
The party’s primary concern relates to a project under the Department of Tribal Affairs, funded through Article 275(1). The Project, construction of a Medical Rest House at Merangmen Block, Mokokchung was sanctioned for Rs 200 lakh in the year 2020–2021 with its executing agency is M/S Zenith Enterprise. According to Tinuakum, a Congress verification team visited Merangmen block and found ongoing works related to PHC upgrades and other medical infrastructure. However, the Medical Rest House itself could not be located.
“We visited the block and asked the villagers, but no one was aware of any such construction. If the concerned department or M/S Zenith Enterprise can show us where the work is taking place, we would be glad,” he said.
He said that the party only seeks to understand the status of sanctioned works.
“We have seen sanction orders and work orders, but the ground reality does not match in some cases. We simply want to know what is happening and how these projects will proceed,” Tinuakum added.
He reiterated that the party’s intention is constructive. “This is not criticism. We only want transparency so development can reach the people,” he said.
Medical Hospital at Moayimti
Tinuakum informed that the project initially showed promising progress. “When our party inspected the site in the beginning, the work was going well,” he said. However, the construction suddenly came to a halt and has reportedly remained inactive for nearly a year. He added that the site now appears “ongoing and not ongoing,” with no clarity on whether work has officially resumed or remains on hold. This uncertainty has left the public confused about the status of the project.
The party also questioned whether the delay is a result of the government withholding funds or other administrative reasons. With the 24-month deadline already over, he mentioned that the locals want to know if an official extension has been granted.
“If there has been an extension, when will the work be completed? The public wants to know,” he stated. Furthermore he also said that the hospital construction is being carried out by M/S Zenith Enterprise, the same firm involved in other development works in the region
He urged the concerned department to provide transparent updates on the project’s status, funding, and revised timelines.
Construction of Community Hall at Lirmen
On the new community hall sanctioned under the Tribal Affairs Department through Article 275(1), he disclosed that the work order for construction of Community Hall at Lirmen, Medemyin, Yachang B was issued during 2022–2023 with a sanctioned amount of ₹150 lakh.
He mentioned that the community hall at Medemyin and Yachang B have already been completed. However, in Lirmen, only the old community hall continues to stand, with no visible progress on the new structure.
He reiterated that the public are confused as to why the Lirmen component of the project has not begun. “We want to know why the new community hall at Lirmen is not being constructed. Is the work being carried out somewhere else? And if so, where?” he asked.
He urged the Tribal Affairs Department and the executing agency to clarify whether the Lirmen community hall is delayed, cancelled, or relocated and if construction has begun elsewhere under the same project name and when the people of Lirmen can expect work to start.
“We just want to know the truth,” villagers said. “If the hall is being built somewhere else, the public deserves to be informed.”
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Upgradation of road and construction of bridge from Longchem to Saring road
The stalled upgradation of the Longchem–Saring road, a project sanctioned between 2022 and 2023 with an official work period of 24 months from December 22, 2022.
While construction of the bridge under the same project has reportedly been completed, the road upgradation component remains uncertain. Locals say they have not seen any visible progress on the Longchem–Saring stretch.
“The public wants to know when the upgradation of the Longchem–Saring road will be completed. If it has already been completed, where is it?” representatives of the 30 Alongtaki Congress unit said.
He pointed out that this road is a lifeline for the constituency.
He recalled that the last major construction of this route was carried out 20–30 years ago when Tiameren served as minister. Since then, only minor maintenance work has taken place, despite the road worsening year after year.
The Congress unit and villagers clarified that they are not asking for large-scale reconstruction, but for essential repairs to restore connectivity.
Their requests include basic blacktopping to allow even small vehicles to ply, retaining walls in landslide-prone areas, regular maintenance, rather than temporary patchwork
“If the government can simply blacktop the road and make it safe for small vehicles, the people will be extremely grateful,” they said.
The representative mentioned that Alongtaki region is one of the most fertile and economically promising areas in Nagaland, with thriving, areca nut cultivation, rubber plantations, tea plantations, vast paddy fields and fisheries projects worth crores sanctioned under various schemes. However, he said poor road conditions prevent farmers and entrepreneurs from benefiting fully from these opportunities.
“This region can become the rice pocket of Nagaland. But without proper roads, the potential remains trapped,” he noted.
He also emphasized that road construction from the Assam side of the border—from Desai and Mariani—has been progressing steadily, reportedly under Assam government initiatives. However on the Nagaland side, areas such as Moayimti, Jungtia Imsen, and Watiyim are believed to have had roads constructed or maintained by Assam authorities, while the Nagaland side remains neglected.
Villagers and the 30 Alongtaki Congress unit urged the state government to clarify on the status of the Longchem–Saring road upgradation, whether the 24-month deadline has been extended and when the pending work would resume or be completed.
They reiterated that they seek transparency and basic support for an essential public infrastructure.
“We just want the government to maintain the road. If this is done, the public will be very happy.”
Construction of Multipurpose Hall in Lakhuni village
The slow progress and current status of the ₹100 lakh Multipurpose Hall project at Lakhuni. The representative urged the concerned authorities to clarify whether the construction has been completed as per the approved plans.
The project, sanctioned as a ₹1 crore multipurpose hall, was expected to provide essential community space for public gatherings and village activities. However, residents say the structure remains half-built, with no clear indication of further progress.
The community wanted to know whether the hall been completed and if completed, has it been constructed according to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and if incomplete, will there be further upgradation or is the current half-built structure final.
The concerned representative also expressed doubts about whether the existing structure reflects the value of a ₹100 lakh project, stating that transparency is needed to understand what has been executed and what remains pending.
He also emphasized that the community urgently needs a functional hall for meetings, events, and village activities.
“If the work is not completed, we urge the concerned authorities to finish it as soon as possible. The public needs a proper hall,” community representatives said.
Project under Tribal Affairs Scheme under SCA-TSS: Four ambulances sanctioned
The Congress unit of 30 Alongtaki Assembly Constituency has raised serious questions regarding the whereabouts of four ambulances sanctioned under two separate schemes in 2020–2021, after finding only two ambulances physically present in the region.
According to documents reviewed by the party, two ambulances were sanctioned under the Tribal Affairs Department through the SCA–TSS scheme, specifically for PHCs under Mangkolemba subdivision during the 2020–2021 financial year.
Additionally, in the same year, two more ambulances were listed under the LADP COVID-19 Health Infrastructure Scheme for 30 Alongtaki AC. The LADP beneficiary is recorded as Tia, son of Meren, House No. 32, Lakhuni village. The registered locations for these ambulances are Tsurangkong and Japukong.
However, during inspections, Congress members said they were able to identify only two ambulances in operation.
“According to the official records, there should be four ambulances, but only two can be found. We want to know where all four are located and which PHCs they have been assigned to,” the party representative said.
The Congress unit emphasized that ambulances are critical for the region’s healthcare system, especially in remote areas where transport remains difficult.
The unit are now seeking clarity from the concerned departments on the current location of all four sanctioned ambulances, the PHCs or healthcare centres where the ambulances are assigned and whether the vehicles were delivered, operational, or diverted elsewhere
Construction of footsteps under LADP 2022-2023 for 30 Alongtaki A/C
Footstep construction project was sanctioned under the Local Area Development Programme (LADP) 2022–2023 for the 30 Alongtaki Assembly Constituency. The project, listed as “Construction of Footsteps (Eight Units) at Longchem”, was reportedly sanctioned and officially recorded as completed by the concerned administrative authority. The work was shown to be undertaken “in the care of Lima, son of Tadong, House No. 87, Longchem.”
However, when members of Congress party and concerned citizens conducted an inquiry, they found no trace of the eight units of footsteps supposedly completed under the scheme. Despite claims of completion, the physical location of the footsteps could not be identified.
Upon filing an RTI (Right to Information) request, citizens were surprised to learn that a completion certificate had already been issued by the administrative side—even though the community had never seen any such construction at the site. A photograph purportedly showing the completed footsteps, but even with the image, the structure shown in the picture could not be located anywhere in Longchem. The project lacks geo-tagging, a mandatory component for transparency in most government-funded works.
Contrary to the official record, it stated that construction activity began only last month, raising further suspicion about the authenticity of the earlier completion certificate.
This discrepancy has led to growing public concern regarding the transparency, monitoring, and accountability of LADP-funded projects in the region.
“How did authorities issue a completion certificate when the work was not completed—or even started—at the time?” the Congress asked.
According to Tinuakum, in one past instance, an ambulance got stuck along the damaged stretch. By the time help arrived, the patient had already passed away. Residents claimed to have video evidence of the incident, which they say highlights the urgency for the government to take immediate action.
In 2023, the party had filed an RTI application seeking details about the Longchem–Saring bridge, only to discover that the government had already sanctioned funds for its repair. Following this revelation, the issue was taken to the media, and through NPCC, video coverage was released to the public.
Subsequently, the bridge was indeed repaired. However, villagers allege that the work was carried out not by the contractor who received the work order, but directly by the concerned department. The completion certificate, they say, was issued not to the contractor but to the department by the village council.
While residents do not want to comment on the internal understanding between the contractor and the department, they raise one critical question: “If the work order was given to a contractor, how and why did the department execute the work themselves?”
Although the bridge has been completed, the main Longchem–Saring road remains in a dilapidated state, making travel extremely difficult for residents. Locals state that they have “100% proof” that no significant road upgradation has taken place.
Tinuakum also mentioned that during the 2025 Japukong Kaketshir Mungdang (JKM), the major student union conference hosted in the region, poor road condition created further embarrassment and hardship. Many student delegations reportedly had to push their buses, while others resorted to walking due to the impassable condition of the road.
Furthermore, although Longchem has been declared a town for many years, its condition still resembles that of a remote village solely because of the absence of proper road connectivity.
The Longchem–Saring stretch is considered a lifeline, especially during emergencies. Yet, locals describe it as a seasonal road, barely usable during winter, with only a few vehicles daring to ply the route.
The constituency has 35 polling stations and a population of over 1,600 within the town area, while an estimated 7,000–8,000 people across surrounding villages are directly affected by the road’s condition.
