The Paomata Block Chairman & Secretary Association and Chilivai Phaibung Block Chairman & Secretary Association has appealed for urgent intervention regarding the substandard execution of bituminous work on NH-102A (Tadubi-Ukhrul Road) Tadubi to Lower Phaibung Village (Approx. 60 KM Stretch). The Associations have also demanded for immediate rectification and accountability.
The joint press statement stated that “we, the residents and village authorities falling under Paomata Block and Chilivai Phaibung Block, wish to bring to the public domain and to the notice of the concerned authorities, a matter of grave public concern which directly affects the safety, welfare and fundamental right to connectivity of thousands of citizens along National Highway-102A.”
1. Grievance in Brief
The recently executed black-topping / bituminous work on National Highway-102A, specifically the stretch from Tadubi to Lower Phaibung village covering approximately 60 km, has been executed in a most sub-standard, negligent and unsatisfactory manner, in complete deviation from the prescribed IRC and MORTH specifications.
It is shocking and disheartening to state that within a week of its completion, the entire bituminous surface has completely disintegrated, resulting in severe potholes, extensive surface cracking, peeling and loose aggregates throughout the stretch. The road, which is a lifeline of the people, has become hazardous, non-motorable and a death trap for commuters.
2. Severe Impact on the General Public
a) Grave risk to human lives due to sudden potholes, uneven surface and lack of road safety;
b) Frequent mechanical failure and damage to vehicles belonging to commuters, transporters and local daily wage earners;
c) Acute dust pollution and water logging during rain, severely affecting the health, hygiene and livelihood of roadside households;
d) Imminent total collapse of connectivity during the ensuing monsoon, as the already failed surface will deteriorate beyond repair.
3. Repeated Representations Ignored
We have repeatedly submitted written grievances and representations to the concerned authorities including National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL), the executing contractors and sub-contractors, through both verbal and written communications on multiple occasions.
However, it is most unfortunate that no concrete action has been taken till date, nor has any corrective measure been initiated. The deliberate inaction and indifferent attitude of the concerned agency has compelled us to raise this issue through this public Press Statement.
4. Our Charter of Demands
In view of the above facts and circumstances, we demand immediate and time-bound action as follows:
a) To immediately depute a Special Technical Inspection Team comprising senior officials from PWD, NHIDCL and independent third-party experts to conduct a thorough on-site inspection and to assess the quality of work and quantify deviations from prescribed standards;
b) To direct the executing agency to rectify and reconstruct the defective portion at the contractor’s own risk and cost under the Defect Liability Period as stipulated in the Contract Agreement;
c) To initiate appropriate penal and legal action against the responsible contractors and sub-contractors for willful negligence and use of sub-standard materials as per the provisions of the National Highways Act, 1956 and the General Conditions of Contract;
d) To ensure that all future works are monitored jointly by departmental engineers and village-level monitoring committees for transparency and quality control.
5. Ultimatum for Democratic Agitation
We hereby make it explicitly clear that if the concerned authorities fail to take concrete steps for repairing / reconstruction of the said failed stretch of NH-102A within the month of October, 2026, we shall be left with no other alternative but to resort to various forms of democratic agitation, including indefinite closure / blockade of National Highway-102A.
“The responsibility for any inconvenience arising out of such agitation shall lie solely with the concerned authorities and the executing agency.
“We demand your timely and decisive intervention to safeguard public interest and to ensure accountability and quality in the execution of this nationally important infrastructure” stated the joint press statement signed by A. Ngaopu, Convenor, Paomata Block Chairman & Secretary Association, K. Ngaopuni, Co-Convenor, Paomata Block Chairman & Secretary Association, V. Careson, Convenor, Chilivai Phaibung Block Chairman & Secretary Association and P. Gideon, Co-Convenor, Chilivai Phaibung Block Chairman & Secretary Association.
