Construction of a RCC bridge at Tizit in Mon district (in progress). (File Photo)
Demands release of Rs 282.27 crore for 2nd phase
Dimapur, October 30 (MExN): The Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) has appealed to the state government to immediately issue second-phase work orders under SASCI for the 395.9-km Foothills Road project, utilising the remaining Rs 282.27 crore within the current working season, and demanded an explanation to the public if the orders are not issued despite approval.
The Foothills Road, connecting Khelma in Peren district to Tizit in Mon district, was started in 2013 with full public cooperation, including land provided free of compensation and zero taxation by Naga political groups. The committee in a press statement said the project has been “lingering for the last 14 years without much headway which manifests the lack of political will or lack of leadership in the state.”
Citing a comparison, the NFHRCC said the 1,386-km Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, connecting six states and started in 2019, is now on the verge of completion, while “almost all the projects in our state fail to see the light of the day.” It said the Foothills Road is indispensable as it will automatically leverage the state's economy, and while welcoming the mega project, cautioned that Nagas “should not sleep over the project with reverie.”
The NFHRCC said that of the Rs 430.77 crore approved under SASCI during 2024-2025, Rs 148.5 crore has been utilised in the first phase, and the remaining Rs 282.27 crore should be utilised in the second phase within this working season. It alleged that the second phase under SASCI, which should have been issued during 2025-2026, has been “deliberately ignored by the government” despite full knowledge of the “pathetic condition of the Naga public,” and made clear that the public will not allow the government to ignore its rightful claims and share.
The Committee said it is the bounden duty of the government to safeguard public rights, and it is “very painful” that representatives in whom the public have reposed faith are “desperately trying to stop the developments” or putting maximum efforts to avoid key infrastructural development in the state, which it described as the most unfortunate in the history of Nagaland's development. It warned that in a democracy, if the responsible authority fails to discharge its assigned duties, “there will certainly be noise and objection from the public.”
The NFHRCC also said declaring Nagaland as a “Land of Festivals” is not an answer to the uneven development of the state. While stating it is not against festival celebrations, the NFHRCC said the government should not lose sight of the sufferings and hardships faced by the public, and cautioned that “celebrating with borrowed money may not be so wise” as celebration without resources will be a liability to the state exchequer. Quoting the saying “Road is the mother of development,” it said resources can be generated through construction of the Foothills Road.
The NFHRCC appealed to the Nagaland government to issue the second phase work orders under SASCI with the remaining amount of Rs 282.27 crore within this working season, failing which it should explain to the Naga public why the second phase work order has not been issued despite approval.
