One of the most prestigious infrastructure projects of the state, the greenfield airport in Hollongi, has now become a major challenge for the state government to complete on time. Chief Minister Pema Khandu has set an ambitious target of August 2022 for the completion of the airport. Governor BD Mishra on Wednesday made an on-the-spot inspection of the airport site to gather firsthand information about the progress of the dream project. This is his second visit in the last one month. Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and Civil Aviation Minister Nakap Nalo also visited the airport site in recent days.
These kinds of VIP visits, though welcome, are also a distraction for the contractor. The period from November to April is the peak work season in the state. From May onwards till October, the monsoon rain makes it virtually impossible to carry out any major infrastructure work. However, it is seen that frequent VIP visits during peak work season affects the progress. During such visits, the work comes to a halt and officials are busy catering to the VIPs. This does not mean that VIPs should not visit work sites. Of course they should, as such visits keep pressure on the contractor to complete work on time. However, the visit should be properly planned. A target should be set for the contractor and at the end of the deadline the VIP should visit to check whether the task has been accomplished or not. This is the best way to ensure that the project is completed on time without compromising with the work quality.