Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 30
Fourteen tribal organisations/hohos have declared they will boycott a high-level meeting, on April 7, called by the Nagaland state government regarding the foothill road, if the Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) is not officially invited.
According to them, the NFHRCC carried the mandate of 14 apex tribal organisations of the state to pursue the construction of the long-delayed foothill road. The announcement came following a meeting of the NFHRCC with representatives of the tribal organisations in Dimapur on March 30.
The tribal organisations expressed deep resentment over what they alleged was the state government’s repeated sidelining of the NFHRCC despite the latter’s contribution to the foothill road. The foothill road was initially envisioned to snake along the foothills of Nagaland bordering Assam, from Mon to Niuland. It was later extended up to Khelma in Peren district.
“The NFHRCC has worked tirelessly since 2013… Our objective has always been to ensure the road is completed successfully, and without allowing vested interests to compromise the quality or leave the work half-finished,” said Limhathung Odyuo, General Secretary of the Lotha Hoho at a press conference, jointly addressed with executives of the Western Rengma Hoho (WRH) and Ao Senso Telongjem Dimapur (ASTD). The WRH and ASTD were represented by their respective presidents Nijilo Kemp, and Ningsangwaba Pongen.
They maintained that their declaration carried the mandate of all the 14 tribal organisations. The hohos had submitted an ultimatum to the Chief Minister on February 21 regarding sanctioning of the second tranche of work orders for the foothill road project. The deadline expires on March 31.
Odyuo cited the inauguration of the Doyang Bridge, in January 2023, in Liphanyan as one of many instances of the government’s “sidelining” of the NFHRCC. “The bridge took nearly 10 years to complete, yet the NFHRCC was not even invited to the inauguration. This has deeply hurt the committee and the hohos,” Odyuo said.
The WRH president Nijilo Kemp said, “If the NFHRCC is excluded from the April 7 meeting, none of the 14 tribal hohos will participate.”
The ASTD President Ningsingwaba Pongen reiterated the mandate given to the NFHRCC. “The NFHRCC is a body mandated by all 14 apex tribal hohos. Sidelining the committee is equivalent to sidelining the hohos themselves,” Pongen said.
The hohos further disputed government claims made during the Assembly Budget session regarding land compensation hurdles. Odyuo clarified that the agreement for a 40-foot-wide road remains “free of cost” across the 395 km stretch, in accordance with the original No Objection Certificate. However, he held that the government’s subsequent proposal for a 100-foot Right of Way (ROW) for four-laning has caused complications.
“The 40 feet is free. But when the width is expanded to 100 feet, it destroys plantations and livelihoods. We appeal to the government to consider relief for those losing their entire livelihoods for this expansion,” Odyuo added.
The hohos further pointed out poor work quality in the Wokha stretch falling in the Baghty Division of the PWD (Roads & Bridges). “Out of 151 culverts, only about 60 have been built, and some began cracking within days of construction,” he claimed.
Odyuo recalled the show-cause notices issued by the department to two firms— JK Constructions and Chabou & Co, over alleged poor work quality and slow pace of work.
While over Rs 148 crores from the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme have been utilised in the first phase, a work order for the second phase is urgently required. The second phase involves government approval for over Rs 400 crores.
The tribal hohos maintained that if the state government fails to respond positively to their ultimatum or continues to ignore the NFHRCC, they will be forced to take democratic action.
