Morung Express News
Kohima | March 1
The construction of Foothill Road, considered to be one of the most important projects in the state, is yet to see daylight even after a decade. This was a major topic of discussion in the assembly sessions.
MLA Nuklutoshi raised a starred question regarding the project, wherein it was stated the Final Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on June 12, 2019, requesting approval for a budget of Rs 3284.06 crore. However, the approval is still pending.
He went to state that the issue has gained attention both inside and outside the assembly, wherein the Chief Minister of the state has been pressurised to expedite the construction of the Foothill Road.
Nuklutoshi said he was expecting that the project would have been passed in the previous 13th Assembly with all the state BJP MLAs along the stretch of the foothill road given that the BJP was in power both at the centre and in a coalition in Nagaland too.
“Elected leaders representing areas along the foothills should have taken this issue seriously and pursue it” he stated.
Deputy Chief Minister and Minister-in-charge of Planning and Transformation, National Highways, TR Zeliang, emphasized the significance of the Foothill Road.
On the road from Amguri NH 61 (2) Tuli to Niuland, he informed that an agreement was signed in September 5, 2016 between the consultant and the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MORTH) for a feasibility study and preparation of the DPR under the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in North East (SARDP-NE).
A sum of Rs 10.3343 Cr was also sanctioned for this purpose wherein the DPR has been completed and submitted to MoRTH, and the approval is awaited. Zeliang informed that the Chief Minister has also written twice for approval for the project.
However, he explained that during a meeting with the Minister of Road Transport in August 2023, it was conveyed that the policy has changed under SARDP-NE, and that unless the project is declared as a National Highway it was unlikely that the project would be approved.
On the suggestion of the MoRTH Minister, Zeliang said efforts are underway pursuing the project under the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti Scheme (PMGS), and assured the house that it will continue to vigorously pursue for early sanction.
He also thanked the Chief Minister for allocating Rs 14,858 lakhs for this project, which will be utilised focusing on identifying and addressing the bottlenecks up to Khelma. Zeliang also viewed that roads from Niuland to Dimapur, Chümoukedima and Jalukie are not necessary at the moment, as NH 29A is already under construction, connecting Maram, Peren, and Dimapur.
To this, Nuklutoshi argued that there is no point in addressing the bottlenecks but to construct from Naginimora-Tuli, and take up the others in part wise. He also asserted that the money provided by the Chief Minister despite the financial constraint faced by the state should be utilized judiciously for the intended purpose.
