Naga Council Dimapur and Western Rengma Hoho urge Nagaland government to expedite completion of the Nagaland Foothills Road project.
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DIMAPUR — The Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) has appealed for the early completion of the two-lane Nagaland Foothills Road construction project between Khelma in the Peren district and Tizit in the Mon district.
In a press statement, the NCD said that this has been a dream road of the Nagas since 1974 for the safe and convenient movement of travellers and transporters.
It said that Dimapur is home to all Nagas and the terminal of all road connectivity in Nagaland, adding that it is in the records of the NCD office about hardships and inconveniences faced by Naga travellers via Assam, especially during Assam bandhs and border skirmishes.
The council noted that as much as the Nagaland Foothills Road Co-ordination Committee (NFRCC) feels for this dream project, so also is NCD’s determination and resolve for the early completion of the project so that Nagas can have free movement and accessibility between districts and promote unhindered economic growth where natural resources can be fully utilised and explored.
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NCD, while lauding Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for “spontaneously understanding the interest and need of the people and generously allocating the required funds”, noted that it has learnt that the ongoing two-lane road project is lagging behind in a certain division, without which the second phase of the project will be hampered.
Therefore, NCD appealed for mutual cooperation in resolving any issues for the larger interest of the Naga society before the onset of the monsoon.
Stating that this Foothills Road will not only be a lifeline for the districts being covered but will also converge all the important arterial roads from all districts of Nagaland, NCD appealed to the Government of Nagaland to expedite this extraordinary two-lane road project as per the people's expectations.
The council acknowledged and appreciated the joint survey of the alignment done along with the NPWD (Road and Bridge) and the NFRCC in 2013, in the desire of having a connecting road from Tizit to Khelma for which a 40 ft wide lane was given by the landowners without any land compensation through their respective tribal hohos in 2013.
It said that in light of understanding the grievances of the public due to the non-completion of the Nagaland Foothills Road, the council firmly stands with the representation of the Dimapur-based tribal hohos for the early completion of the two-lane Foothills Road, as it will be for the common benefit of all the citizens of Nagaland.
The Western Rengma Hoho (WRH) has also urged the Government of Nagaland to expedite the ongoing Foothills Road project, which spans approximately 395 kilometres from Khelma in Peren district to Tizit in Mon district.
The WRH stated that the Foothills Road represents a genuine and long-felt need of the people of Nagaland. Its completion will bring widespread benefits, directly and indirectly, to all sections of society by enhancing connectivity, promoting economic development, and improving accessibility across the state.
While the WRH appreciated the government’s “visionary initiative and efforts to upgrade the Foothills Road into a national highway”, it expressed concern that such a major upgrade may take considerable time.
It stated that it is therefore imperative that priority attention be given to the timely completion of the ongoing two-lane Foothills Road project, which has already been in progress for over a decade.
In this regard, the Western Rengma Hoho fully endorsed the memorandum submitted on February 21, 2026, by the Dimapur-based Naga tribal hohos to the state government, urging the issuance of the second phase work order on or before March 31, 2026.
The WRH appealed to the state government to seriously consider the collective representation in the larger interest of the people and to take prompt and decisive action to ensure the continued progress and early completion of the vital infrastructure project.