Dimapur, August 7 (MExN): The Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) has given the state government 30 days to give a ‘positive response’ with regard to the Foothills Road project.
According to a press release from the committee, the decision was taken during a meeting at its base office in Kher Mahal, Dimapur, on Saturday. It said that the NFHRCC had “exhausted all necessary means available” to them, to ensure the completion of the road project which has been under construction for more than 8 years.
Highlighting the sequence of events pertaining to the Foothills Road project, the NFHRCC said that the project was initially funded under the Centre’s special plan assistance (SPA) and launched at Longtho in Mokokchung district and Merapani under Wokha district in 2013. Subsequently, the Doyang Bridge Construction at Governor’s camp Liphanyan was started in 2014 and almost 90% of the earth cutting/dressing was completed in 2013-14, except in some portions.
In the meantime, the SPA was discontinued with the enforcing of NITI Aayog as a result of which the ongoing project had been slowed down, it said. Despite many hassles, the Doyang Bridge construction resumed in 2018 after a gap of almost 2 years and as of now, the bridge is expected to be completed by the end of the year (2021), the press release stated.
Citing government sources, the NFHRCC stated that the state government’s proposal to rechristen the project as Trans Nagaland Expressway mega project “is in the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) for final declaration.” In connection to this, the Committee had also written a letter to the PMO in 2019 through the Office of the Governor of Nagaland, it said, while adding that the committee has requested the State Government to make the road ‘jeepable,’ while waiting for the mega project.
It said that in February this year, several meetings with some elected members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and tribal Hohos were also held and the committee had also written to the NLA Speaker to take the matter up in the Assembly. Subsequently, a team comprising of tribal Hohos, departmental officials, and contractors also visited the Doyang Bridge Construction site, it added.
The NFHRCC said that the Chief Minister had assured that the Foothill Road would be made pliable, while addressing the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the Eastern Naga People’s Organisation at Tobu earlier on February 24, 2021. This was followed by the NDPP High Power Committee (HPC) and department officials visiting the Doyang Bridge site in March after which a progress report was formally submitted to the competent authority while assuring their full cooperation to accomplish the project.
In this context, the NFHRCC urged the state government to give a ‘positive response,’ within the stipulated 30 days time, cautioning that it would “be compelled to resort to any appropriate means,” if the same is not exercised.
Meanwhile, the committee clarified that “no official communication nor discussion as such has been made till date,” with regard to a press statement issued by the Rising People Party’s (RPP) with regard to the Foothills Road. “However, the Committee appreciates the concerns of the RPP regarding the Foothills Road which is yet to be completed for the last more than 8 years,” it added.
