PWD rebuts NFHRCC allegations on foothill road project, clarifies RoW requirements, contractor selection process and funding constraints.
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DIMAPUR — The department of Public Works (Roads and Bridges) on Thursday rejected allegations by Nagaland Foothill Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) regarding the foothill road project, stating that claims of political interference in contractor selection were “without basis” and that the chief minister’s remarks on the project had been taken out of context.
In a statement, the department said Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s remark that “we cannot make roads in the sky” referred to conditions set by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) requiring a minimum Right of Way (RoW) of 30 metres, free of encumbrances, before the foothill road could be taken up as a National Highway.
It stated that landowners, local NGOs and tribal bodies had offered only 12 metres of RoW free of cost, while compensation was being sought for land beyond that. It added that the project is beyond the state’s financial capacity to undertake independently.
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The department also rejected allegations of political interference in contractor selection, stating that tender procedures were duly followed and work orders were issued strictly on the basis of qualifications and eligibility of bidders.
Clarifying earlier statements regarding completion of the project by 2027, it stated that the assurance given by the PWD minister under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme referred only to the first phase of the foothill road project amounting to INR 148.5 crore.
The department further said the state government has released INR 245.50 crore for the project so far without funding from MoRTH and has been pursuing central assistance since 2013–14.
According to the statement, MoRTH informed the state in May 2025 that the foothill road could be declared a National Highway only if two conditions were met: provision of a minimum 30-metre RoW and completion of all forest and environmental clearances.
Forest clearance has already been issued for the entire alignment, the department said, while RoW NOCs have been received from Mon, Longleng, Wokha, Niuland and Chümoukedima districts for 12 metres only. NOCs from Mokokchung and Peren districts are yet to be received.
The department said efforts to obtain 30-metre RoW are intended to meet MoRTH conditions for central funding and National Highway status and are not related to the second phase of the project under SASCI.