Deadlock deepens over the Nagaland Foothills Road project as NFHRCC warns of protests and tensions rise ahead of the April 7 government meeting.
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DIMAPUR — Tensions continue to simmer over the long-delayed Nagaland foothills road project, with the Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) warning of protests and calling for unity among tribal bodies ahead of a crucial government meeting.
In a press release, the NFHRCC urged all apex tribal hohos to stand firm on their March 30 resolution to boycott the April 7 meeting convened by the state government on issues related to the National Highways Act 1956 and land acquisition for the foothills road.
The committee stated that any hoho defying the collective decision would be viewed as acting against the interests of what it termed the “People’s Project,” describing such a move as “anti-developmental and backstabbing.”
The standoff comes amid growing friction between the committee and the government over the exclusion of the NFHRCC from official deliberations.
The meeting, initially scheduled for March 31 following an ultimatum issued by Dimapur-based tribal hohos, was later postponed to April 7. However, the committee claimed there has been “no indication” that it will be invited to participate.
Also read:Nagaland tribal bodies threaten boycott of April 7 meet over Foothills Road
“Given the situation, the hohos and the committee are prepared to resort to any form of protest to safeguard the People’s Project,” the statement warned.
The NFHRCC also expressed dissatisfaction over repeated deadline extensions granted to contractors, JK Construction and Chabou & Co. Originally scheduled for completion by December 2025, the project deadline was first extended to March 2026 and now pushed further to April 30, 2026, it stated.
Calling the extensions “unreasonable and unjustified,” the committee maintained that failure to complete the work within the latest deadline should result in blacklisting of the firms and reallocation of the project to more capable agencies.
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It further flagged alleged anomalies in project execution, citing shortages of Hume pipes and slab culverts, which it said point to deficiencies in the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
It urged the Public Works department (Roads & Bridges) to immediately supply pending steel structures in Baghty and Peren divisions to avoid further delays.
Raising concerns over transparency, the NFHRCC criticised the “opposition-less government” for its handling of the SASCI loan component linked to the project, terming the lack of clarity “distasteful” to the public.
In a bid to consolidate its position, the committee announced a joint consultative meeting of Dimapur-based tribal hohos and representatives of various tribal bodies, including the Naga Council Dimapur, scheduled for April 6 at its base office in Khermahal.