Noklak: Khiamniungan students end PWD office shutdown after road pledge

The Khiamniungan Students' Union (KSU) has called off its agitation in Nagaland's Noklak district and reopened the office of the Executive Engineer, PWD (Roads and Bridges), after the department promised to give top priority to a set of delayed road projects, The Morung Express reported, citing the union's media cell.

The decision came out of a joint meeting between the KSU, PWD (R&B) officials and the contractor on two projects whose foreclosure had been raised: Phase II of the Chendang Saddle-Noklak-Pangsha Road and the Noklak-Thonoknyu Road via Sanglao.

The land-compensation row

The union had objected to land compensation being cited, during the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly session, as a reason for halting the projects. At the meeting, the Engineer-in-Chief clarified that projects funded under the NLCPR scheme carry no provision for land compensation. The KSU said the Khiamniungan people have never sought compensation for development projects.

The contractor, M/s Naagaamii Infra Tech Pvt Ltd, apologised for citing land compensation while seeking an extension of time, and the KSU accepted the apology, according to the statement.

What the union wants

The KSU's demands include:

• completion of the 31 km Chendang Saddle-Noklak-Pangsha Road (Phase II), sanctioned at Rs 164.80 crore, within 12 months;
• upgrading the Noklak-Thonoknyu Road via Sanglao to Major District Road standard with a 5.5-metre intermediate-lane carriageway within 24 months;
• faster work on the Noklak-Pathso Road;
• completion of the 88 km Lang River-Taingan (Myanmar) Road, extended to Wui village via Nokhu and Choklangan, as per the revised detailed project report of November 19, 2024.

The department said it had already sent the state government a proposal, under its SASCI 2026-27 priorities, to improve the road from Peshu to Thonoknyu, an administrative headquarters in the district.

Next steps

PWD assured the union the projects would get top priority and be completed on time. The KSU said it expects the department to keep those commitments without further delay, and that citizens and organisations in Noklak remain united behind uninterrupted development work.

Noklak, carved out of Tuensang in 2017, is one of Nagaland's remotest districts and borders Myanmar.