The Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) has renewed its appeal to the state government for the immediate resumption of the second phase of the Foothills Road construction in all remaining divisions, urging it to issue work orders for the unutilised Rs 282.27 crore approved under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) within the current working season.
In a press release issued on Friday, the committee said the project, which began in 2013, was intended to connect Khelma in Peren district with Tizit in Mon district over a total length of 395.9 km. It said the public had extended full cooperation by providing land measuring 40 feet in width without compensation, while Naga political groups had also supported the project without imposing taxation.
Despite this co operation, the project had been lingering for nearly 14 years without significant progress, which the committee said reflected a lack of political will or leadership in the state.
Drawing a comparison with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, the NFHRCC pointed out that the 1,386-km expressway, connecting Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra, was started in 2019 and was now nearing completion.
The committee said the importance of the Foothills Road project was “indispensable” and that its completion would automatically provide a major boost to Nagaland’s economy.
It expressed concern that most projects in the state failed to make meaningful progress, with only a few managing to survive, and said the people should not lose sight of the Foothills Road project while awaiting other major infrastructure initiatives.
“The Nagas should not sleep over the project with reverie,” the committee stated, while welcoming the prospect of other mega projects in the state.
The NFHRCC said Rs 430.77 crore was approved for the Foothills Road project under SASCI during 2024-2025, of which Rs 148.5 crore had been utilised for the first phase. It said the remaining Rs 282.27 crore should be utilised for the second phase within the current working season.
The committee further stated that the second phase under SASCI should have been sanctioned during 2025-2026 but had been ignored by the government despite its awareness of the difficulties faced by the public.
It warned that the people would not allow the government to disregard their “rightful claims/share” in the project.
The committee described safeguarding public rights as the government’s bounden duty but expressed disappointment with elected representatives, alleging that some were attempting to stop development or making efforts to avoid a key infrastructure project in the state.
It termed the situation unfortunate in the history of Nagaland’s development and said public objections were inevitable if those entrusted with responsibilities failed to discharge their duties.
Referring to the democratic principle of government “of the people, by the people and for the people”, the NFHRCC said public voices and objections were a natural consequence when responsible authorities failed to fulfil their obligations.
The NFHRCC also said declaring Nagaland a “Land of Festivals” was not an answer to uneven development in the state. Clarifying that it was not opposed to festivals and celebrations, the committee urged the government not to lose sight of the hardships and suffering faced by the public.
It cautioned that celebrating with borrowed money might not be wise and that celebrations without adequate resources could become a liability to the state exchequer.
Citing the saying “Road is the mother of development”, the committee argued that the construction of the Foothills Road was essential for generating resources and creating the conditions for sustainable celebrations.
The NFHRCC appealed to the state government to issue the second-phase work orders under SASCI for the remaining Rs 282.27 crore within the current working season. If the work orders were not issued, it demanded that the government explain to the public why the second phase had not been taken up despite the approval of funds.