DIMAPUR —Three apex tribal bodies—the Ao Senden, Lotha
Hoho, and Sumi Hoho—along with the Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination
Committee (NFHRCC), contractor firms, and proprietors convened an emergency
consultative meeting on Tuesday at the Lotha Hoho headquarters in Wokha town.
Following extensive deliberations, the meeting adopted two
key resolutions aimed at resolving the ongoing impasse regarding the signing of
an ‘implementing agreement’ for the road project.
According to a press release, the first resolution entrusted
the Lotha Hoho with the task of negotiating with contractor firms whose
allocated work falls under the Baghty division, to sign the implementing
agreement with the NFHRCC, which has been in practice since the project’s
inception in 2013.
The Lotha Hoho has been given five days to reason with the
contractors and ensure compliance with the NFHRCC’s terms which were
“unconditionally endorsed by the 12 apex tribal hohos.”
The resolution further stated that should the contractors
fail to sign the agreement within the stipulated timeframe, the decision
adopted by the three apex hohos during the January 16, 2025 meeting at Ao
Senden headquarters in Mokokchung will be enforced. This includes pressing the
concerned government department to nullify the work orders issued to the
non-compliant contractor firms.
The meeting also resolved that, during the five-day period,
no contractor firm that has yet to sign the agreement with the NFHRCC should
commence work on their allocated project sites.
