The Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee has sought talks with the government, raising concerns over transparency and its role in the Foothills Road project.
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DIMAPUR — With agitation on hold, the Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) has pushed for immediate dialogue with the government while defending its role in the Foothills Road project.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the committee maintained the proposed phase-wise public agitation from April 15 was kept in abeyance at the request of 15 apex tribal hohos and Dimapur-based tribal bodies following a consultative meeting held on April 14 in Dimapur.
Clarifying its position on the Foothills Road project, the NFHRCC stated that the current push to upgrade the road into a two-lane National Highway is not a new initiative but a continuation of proposals dating back to 2018–19, based on earlier surveys and no-objection certificates (NOCs) provided by landowners through tribal hohos.
It stated a detailed project report (DPR) had already been prepared earlier by the state PWD (R&B), with the project also referred to as the "Trans Nagaland Highway", with an estimated cost exceeding INR 9,000 crore in a phased package system.
The committee further stated that it had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 through the then Governor RN Ravi, seeking early consideration of the project, underscoring its long-pending nature.
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Reiterating its demand for transparency, the NFHRCC reiterated that administrative approval of over INR 430 crore had been accorded in March 2024, with proposals for additional funding exceeding INR 573 crore due to disparities in earlier allocations.
However, it alleged that the department stopped sharing information with the committee before formal approval, raising concerns over transparency in the implementation of the project.
The committee also defended its decision to boycott an April 7 meeting convened by the deputy chief minister in Kohima, stating that the move had the backing of several apex tribal hohos, particularly as the NFHRCC was not invited despite the meeting focusing on the Foothills Road.
Expressing concern over what it termed as attempts by certain quarters to undermine its role, the NFHRCC maintained that it has never acted as a parallel to tribal hohos but has consistently worked in alignment with them since its inception.
It added that any effort to dilute the committee’s role at a crucial stage of the project would be detrimental to the collective goal of realising the Foothills Road.
The NFHRCC reiterated its appeal for constructive dialogue and guidance from apex tribal bodies, expressing hope for an early resolution in the interest of the state.