The Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) has urged all apex tribal Hohos to strictly adhere to the resolutions reaffirmed on March 30, 2026, concerning the postponed meeting called by the Government of Nagaland on the issue of the National Highways Act, 1956 and land acquisition for the Nagaland Foothills Road project.

In a statement issued through its Media Cell, the Committee cautioned that any Hoho violating the collective decision to boycott the April 7 meeting, unless NFHRCC is invited, would be viewed as engaging in “anti-developmental and backstabbing activity” against the “Nagaland Historical People’s Road Project.”

The Committee recalled that Dimapur-based tribal Hohos had earlier served an ultimatum to the State Government on February 21, setting March 31 as the deadline. Although the Government convened a meeting on March 31 with apex tribal bodies, it was later postponed to April 7 “for reasons best known to them.”

Subsequently, apex tribal Hohos, along with Dimapur-based Hohos, resolved not to attend the rescheduled meeting if NFHRCC was excluded. The Committee noted that there has been no indication from the Government regarding NFHRCC’s inclusion, nor any progress on the issuance of the second phase work order.

“Therefore, in the given situation, it is made clear that the Hohos and the Committee are well prepared to go for any form of protest to safeguard the People’s Project,” the statement asserted.

On the project timeline, NFHRCC expressed strong dissatisfaction over repeated deadline extensions. The work, initially scheduled for completion by December 2025 under contracts awarded to M/S JK Construction and M/S NUS Chabou & Co, was first extended to March 2026 by Minister G Kaito Aye on the pretext of communication gap and later to April 30, 2026.

The Committee termed the extensions “unreasonable and unjustified,” stating that if the firms, M/S JK Construction and M/S Chabou & Co fail to complete the work within the revised deadline of April 20, 2026, they should be blacklisted and the project reassigned to capable firms.

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“Nagas can’t afford to remain underdeveloped under the clutches of a few privileged,” it stated.

Highlighting technical concerns, the Committee pointed to shortages of Hume pipes and slab culverts across several stretches, indicating possible anomalies in the Detailed Project Report (DPR). It urged the Nagaland Public Works Department (Roads & Bridges) to address these deficiencies seriously in ongoing and future projects.

The Committee had further urged upon the NPWD, Road & Bridge to immediately supply the Steel structures both in Baghty and Peren Divisions enabling designated firms to complete their works at the earliest.

Further, the Committee criticized the lack of transparency by the Opposition-less Government regarding the SASCI loan component tied to the Foothills Road project, terming it “distasteful” to the common people of Nagaland.

Meanwhile, a joint consultative meeting of Dimapur-based tribal Hohos and selected core members from various tribal bodies, including the Naga Council Dimapur, has been convened on April 6 at 10 a.m. at the NFHRCC Base Office, Kher Mahal, Dimapur, to deliberate on the matter.