Mhathung Yanthan seeks end of Sanis-Lakhuti road contract

KOHIMA – Nagaland’s Advisor for Agriculture, Mhathung Yanthan, has asked the state’s rural roads authority to begin proceedings to terminate the contract of M/s North East Enterprises, the firm responsible for maintaining the Sanis-Lakhuti road in Wokha district. According to the letter seen by Nagaland.News, the contractor has not started repairs despite a September 30 deadline.

The letter, DO No. Adv/Agri/2026/459 dated November 12, 2026, is addressed to the Engineer-in-Chief of the Nagaland Public Works Department (NPWD), who is also the Empowered Officer of NGRRDA, the state agency that handles the rural roads scheme. Yanthan, an MLA who also chairs the Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee and the Wokha District Planning and Development Board, wrote that he was “constrained to once again draw your urgent attention” to the issue.

The road was built under the second phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-II), the Centre’s rural roads programme, under Package No. NG-07-03-A008.

Sanis-Lakhuti road repairs missed the September 30 deadline

Yanthan first raised the condition of the road in a note dated August 1, 2026, saying it had “deteriorated considerably” and posed safety risks to travellers. A joint site inspection followed on August 10, carried out by departmental officials in the presence of the contractor’s representative, and the Superintending Engineer of PWD (R&B) Circle-II submitted a report on it.

According to the letter, the inspection found:

• heavily clogged side drains;
• landslides and slips along the road;
• raised earthen shoulders;
• huge potholes and a damaged bituminous wearing surface.

The Engineer-in-Chief then issued a letter in August, and the Executive Engineer of PWD (R&B) Baghty Division directed the firm to start the rectification works and finish them by September 30. Yanthan wrote that the contractor “has, till date, failed to commence the required repair works.”

“Such persistent non-compliance, even after repeated departmental interventions and the expiry of the stipulated time frame, is a matter of serious concern and cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely,” the letter states.

What the Advisor wants done about the PMGSY road contract

The letter cites the contract terms that apply. Under Clause 32 of the Standard Bidding Document, the contractor must carry out routine maintenance and fix defects throughout the Defect Liability Period. Clause 33 allows outstanding maintenance to be done at the contractor’s risk and cost, and Clauses 52 and 53 of the General Conditions of Contract cover termination.

Yanthan urged the department to:

• start contractual proceedings to terminate the firm’s contract, following due process;
• carry out the pending works departmentally or through another agency at the defaulting contractor’s risk and cost, and recover the expenses;
• have officers assess and document the firm’s non-performance and act on its performance security and other recoveries where warranted;
• restore the road to a “safe and motorable condition without further delay.”

He wrote that the contractor’s continued inaction was “causing undue hardship to the people of the area” and sought the Engineer-in-Chief’s “personal intervention” so that the matter does not remain unresolved “despite repeated assurances and departmental directions.”

What is not yet known

The letter is a request, and the decision on termination rests with the Engineer-in-Chief’s office. It does not give the length or cost of the road, or when construction was completed. Nagaland.News has not been able to reach M/s North East Enterprises or the NPWD for comment, and will update this story if they respond.

Read more from Wokha district: Wokha taxi services suspended on November 18. Also read how the Chümoukedima DPDB backed school upgrades.