Tribal bodies urge Centre to empanel NFHRCC as watchdog for Trans Nagaland Highway

DIMAPUR — A section of apex tribe organisations in Nagaland have written to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) appealing for the Nagaland Foothills Road Co-ordination Committee (NFHRCC) to be officially empanelled as a watchdog to monitor the Trans Nagaland Highway, also known as the Foothills Road.

In the letter addressed to the MoRTH secretary, the tribal bodies stated that past attempts by the state government to construct the Foothills Road in 1974 and 1993 did not materialise.

 It stated that in 2013, the apex tribal hohos had constituted the NFHRCC and endorsed it to oversee the project, describing the initiative as an “extraordinary” people’s project.

Also read: Police yet to establish motive in Hornbill TV reporter shooting

“As endorsed, the committee had negotiated with the landowners to sacrifice their land without a penny of compensation and also arrived at an understanding with the Naga National Political Groups not to levy any taxation with regard to Foothills Road construction. Since then the committee is fully supervising and monitoring the project for the last 13 years in well co-ordination with the concerned department,” read the letter.

The appeal further cited Article 371(A) of the Constitution, assuring that the Right of Way would be made available if the NFHRCC is empanelled. It urged the ministry to officially recognise the committee to ensure transparency, workmanship, and timely completion of the highway.

The letter followed a joint consultative meeting of Nagaland tribal apex hohos and Dimapur-based tribal hohos held on August 29 at the NFHRCC base office in Dimapur. The meeting adopted a five-point resolution reiterating their support for the committee and clarifying that the Trans Nagaland Highway and Foothills Road are the same project.

The resolutions affirmed that the road belongs to the “entire Naga family” and that no authority should attempt to divide landowners and non-landowners in relation to the project. The hohos further resolved to write to MoRTH urging it to empanel NFHRCC as an official watchdog to monitor the project “for more transparency and accountability.”