The Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) has expressed strong dissatisfaction over being excluded from key government consultations on the Foothills Road Project, a developmental initiative it has supported and helped implement since 2013. In a press statement issued Thursday, the committee called upon Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to clarify the reasons for what it termed a “distorted approach” in handling the project. Recounting its longstanding involvement, the NFHRCC recalled that it had played a crucial role in securing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from landowners, often without demanding compensation, and in convincing political groups to avoid levying taxes. The committee also worked closely with the Public Works Department (PWD) (Roads & Bridges) in the project’s early years, overcoming numerous challenges to help launch the project in December 2013, following assurances from CM Rio earlier that year.
Despite this legacy, the committee said it was not invited to a major consultative meeting on April 30, 2025, convened to discuss the project with all 60 legislators, Members of Parliament, and apex tribal and women’s bodies. The meeting was eventually postponed, reportedly after some organizations raised concerns over NFHRCC’s exclusion. Further fueling the committee’s frustration was a May 28 office order by the Chief Engineer of PWD (R&B), which announced a fresh survey and boundary demarcation exercise for the project starting June 2, without any communication to the NFHRCC. The committee condemned the move as an attempt to erase the legacy and sacrifices of the people involved in the project’s decade-long journey.
“This is not just a government road project—it is a people’s movement,” the NFHRCC emphasized, noting that seven of its prominent members had passed away while actively contributing to the cause. “Such disregard disrespects not just our committee, but the spirit of public unity and sacrifice that birthed this initiative.”The committee reminded the public that the NOCs were handed over to Chief Minister Rio himself in 2018, underlining his pivotal role. “Dr. Rio is the dictionary of the Foothills Road Project,” the NFHRCC stated, urging him to educate the concerned department and uphold the original spirit of the mission. The committee also reaffirmed that no alignment, realignment, or further survey on the Foothills Road can be undertaken without its consent. It concluded with a call for mutual respect, leadership rooted in people’s will, and acknowledgment of the Foothills Road as a historic symbol of Naga unity and aspiration.
