The Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee cites official documents to counter Public Works Department claims denying approval for the Foothills Road project.
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DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) has hit back at the state’s Public Works Department (PWD), alleging that the latter misled the public by denying the existence of administrative approval for the Foothills Road project.
In a statement issued on Friday, the committee claimed that an administrative approval amounting to INR 430.77 crore had already been granted for the project, citing an official letter dated March 15, 2024, issued by the additional secretary to the government of Nagaland and addressed to the chief engineer of PWD (Roads & Bridges).
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According to the NFHRCC, the approval—endorsed by the minister for Roads and Bridges—pertains to the revised estimate for a double-lane Foothills Road up to WBM/WMM stage.
The committee further pointed to multiple government documents to support its claim, stating that INR 148.50 crore had been earmarked under SASCI, while an earlier administrative approval of INR 191.38 crore for a single-lane road was granted on February 12, 2024; then, revised administrative approval for double lane up to WBM/WMM amounting to INR 430.77 crore was granted on March 15, 2024.
Accusing the department of “bluntly denying” these approvals, the NFHRCC stated that such statements were “misleading” and amounted to a betrayal of public trust.
It also criticised the department for failing to clearly explain technical or financial constraints, instead of issuing what it termed an “ill-constructed” clarification in the media.