The Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) has reminded the Nagaland Public Works Department (NPWD), Road and Bridges, regarding the ultimatum served to the Government of Nagaland by 13 Dimapur-based tribal hohos over the issuance of work orders through an open tender process for the remaining divisions of the Foothills Road project.

In a statement, the Committee said that despite the ultimatum issued recently with a deadline of March 31, 2026, there has been no indication of any response from the concerned department so far.

The Committee further urged the tribal hohos to prepare themselves mentally, emotionally, financially and strategically for any democratic form of protest should the state government fail to keep the two-lane Foothills Road construction initiative alive. It stated that the government has already invested about Rs. 248.5 crore in the project, including the ongoing first phase funded under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment Loan Scheme (SASCI) amounting to Rs. 148.5 crore.

The Foothills Road project, described as a “Nagaland people’s road project,” was initiated in 2013 by the NFHRCC under the guidance of tribal apex hohos. The proposed road covers a stretch of 395.9 kilometres connecting Tizit to Khelma and passes through eight districts and more than 200 villages along the route.

According to the Committee, during the initial stage of the project, the NFHRCC, along with the NPWD and the tribal hohos, collectively secured a no-objection certificate for 40 feet of land from landowners without compensation, while tax exemption was also obtained from the Naga National Political Groups in 2013. Following this, the required road alignment in all sectors was finalized.

The Committee stated that the original NOCs obtained from the respective tribal hohos were later handed over to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in 2018 at his request.

Responding to public demand, the Chief Minister subsequently approved construction of the two-lane Foothills Road under the SASCI loan scheme in a phased manner, with the project targeted for completion by 2027. The committee said that the first phase of construction is currently nearing completion.

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It also pointed out that for more than 60 years since Nagaland attained statehood, the people of the state have long awaited a “survival road” to boost connectivity and development, stating that road infrastructure remains the foundation for overall development.

In this context, the NFHRCC appealed to the state government and the concerned department to first complete the ongoing two-lane road construction under the SASCI scheme before considering the construction of a four-lane highway under the provisions of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the National Highways framework.

The Committee emphasized that the ongoing two-lane construction under SASCI should not be mixed up or confused with proposals for a four-lane highway project under the national highways programme. It urged the authorities to prioritise the completion of the present project in the interest of the people living along the foothill belt.