The Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) has once again urged the Public Works Department (Roads & Bridges) to impress upon all contractors involved in the Foothills Road project to expedite construction works and adhere to the stipulated completion period of 12 months, which ends on December 18, 2025.
In a statement, the committee said the same appeal was also issued to the contractor firms earlier in April 2025, but the pace of work remains a concern. It also called upon the State Government to release funds commensurate with the percentage of work completed, “without any bias and prejudices,” and to strictly instruct contractors to complete their works on time.
According to records officially communicated by PWD (R&B), the following contractor firms have received bill payments as of September 8, 2025: (Refer table)
With the dry working season already setting in, the NFHRCC reminded both the contractors and the department that “complacency in this people’s project cannot be taken for granted arbitrarily.”
The committee also urged the department to start preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Phase-II of the SASCI loan grant for remaining divisions—particularly the Merapani/Changpang sector of Baghty Division, Jangpetkong area of Mangkolemba Division, and the entire stretch under Peren Division—to enable early commencement of construction.
On the issue of 30-metre Right of Way (ROW) required by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the NFHRCC informed that its officials met the MoRTH Secretary in New Delhi on August 21, 2025, followed by meetings with the Chief Secretary, Government of Nagaland, and the Deputy Chief Minister (Planning & Transformation, National Highway) to seek their opinion and coordinate for smooth implementation.
The committee further urged the State Government to strongly advocate linking the proposed Nagaland Express Highway (Foothills Road) with the Arunachal Frontier Highway in the East, and from Khelma to National Highway 137 in Dima Hasao District of Assam and Tamenglong in Manipur for greater connectivity.
Lastly, the NFHRCC lamented that despite repeated requests, it has not yet been granted an appointment with the Chief Minister to discuss and clarify “certain delusions” regarding the project.
“Perhaps due to other priority pre-engagements, the Hon’ble Chief Minister could not give an appointment till now,” it stated, while seeking an early meeting for further interface on the matter.
