The NFHRCC kickstarted the 1st phase of the 2-Lane Foothills Road Construction by launching a 48-meter (100-ft) span galvanized double-lane modular steel bridge over the Diunaki River in Peren District on 30 December 2024, an update received here said.
In the presence of Zeliang and Kuki CSO leaders, eight village chairmen from neighboring villages, representatives of the district administration, and the NPWD Peren Division, a simple prayer ceremony was held at the designated bridge site today. Speaking on behalf of the NFHRCC, Chenithung Humtsoe, AGS, stressed “how the iconic Foothills Road project was conceptualized, linking Tizit to Khelma over a span of 395 km, way back in 2013, with an endorsement from the 10 Apex Naga Tribal HOHOs. Later, Zeliang and Kuki Hohos also joined in the process.”
The press release said that, so far, the Nagaland government has invested approximately Rs. 100 crores, with the completion of the longest bridge in Nagaland over the River Doyang, Governor’s Camp, Liphanyan Baghty Division of Wokha District, and a fair-weather single-lane connectivity road from Tizit to Niuland. It further said that, after 12 years of relentless lobbying and pleas to provide adequate funding to the Government of Nagaland to complete this iconic Naga historic road, the state government was kind enough to secure a soft loan of Rs. 148.5 crores under the SASCI Program (Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment) for the 1st phase.
The NFHRCC expressed gratitude to the state government for including the bridge project in Peren District in the 1st phase.
The Foothills project is also considered an extraordinary project, as the Naga public has unanimously pledged to provide land without claiming any land compensation, and no taxation is to be levied from the contractors by any quarters. Furthermore, no deductions from the government, except statutory fees, are to be imposed.
The committee further urged concerned contractor firms who are yet to sign an implementing agreement to complete the necessary formalities and start work at their respective allocated sites without further delay.