The Wokha Tourist Lodge, once seen as a promising destination to boost tourism in Nagaland, has now become a silent reminder of unfinished work and missed opportunities. Eight years after the construction of five beautiful log hut rooms, the site remains unused and locked in a long-standing dispute between the Tourism Department and the contractor. The project was first launched in 2017 under a centrally sponsored scheme (CSS) aimed at improving tourism infrastructure across the state. The contract, worth ₹2.63 crore, was originally given to Hill Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. Later, it was taken over by another contractor. Since then, progress has been slow, and the buildings have never been officially inaugurated.
Though the main structures are complete, key finishing works like tiling, side walls, approach roads, and a retaining wall are still pending. According to the contractor, the initial PVC flooring installed in the rooms got damaged and needs to be replaced with tiles. These extra works, along with rising material and labor costs, have added to the overall expense of the project.The contractor said that the last installment of the payment, which would cover these final works, has not yet been released. As a result, he has held back the formal handover of the property to the department. He also stated that officials from the Tourism Department had visited the site and raised no major concerns regarding the construction quality.
However, the department claims it is not fully aware of the details of the extra work, as these aspects were handled by the site engineer during the time of construction. Officials from the department have said they are expecting the final payment to be cleared by next month or soon after. But with no clear timeline, the delay continues. Meanwhile, the five log huts stand deserted, slowly falling into disrepair. Wooden structures, if left unused and unmaintained, begin to deteriorate with time due to weather and lack of upkeep. What was once planned as a tourist attraction now sits abandoned, surrounded by overgrown grass and fading hopes.
