The aggrieved public consisting of 22 villages from Merapani-Longayim to Changpang ONGC HQ via Old & New Tssori, New Amboto to Sumito in Baghty division has expressed dismay over the recent move by 40 Bhandari MLA and the state government’s decision to purportedly alter the alignment and exclude the entire Changpang block, deviating from the original alignment completed in 2013 between the state government and Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC).
Informing this in a press release, sessional chairman Nzanbemo Yanthan and sessional secretary Enoch Kithan said that a meeting held at Bhandari town on Monday resolved that the public would resist at all level if Changpang block was left out from the Foot Hills Road (FHR), appealing the government not to betray the concept of the historic Foothills Road.
They also resolved to stand by the Lotha Hoho representation to the chief engineer on June 4, 2024, and reaffirmed the representation agreed upon with the NPWD (R&B) in August 2024 with the Changpang Local Area Committee on Nagaland Foothills Road and validated with a joint re-survey carried out by the department, NFHRCC and Changpang Local Area Committee on NFHR in September 2024.
Further, the aggrieved public from the 22 villages in Lotha Lower Range Area also expressed dismay at the exclusion of the NFHRCC from the consultative meeting scheduled on April 30 to discuss the Foothills Road project.
They said it was deeply unfortunate and unacceptable that the NFHRCC was not invited to the meeting directly concerning a project they it had steered for years, undermining its valuable contributions and sacrifices made, thereby raising a serious question over the government’s sincerity and transparency in handling the Foothills Road.
They warned that any decision arbitrarily taken by the government without the involvement of the NFHRCC at this juncture would be invalid and could have serious ramification.
Hence, while appreciating the government for its determination to take the project forward, they announced standing firm in solidarity with the NFHRCC.
They sincerely called upon all to raise their voice in support of accountability and justice in pursuit of proper road infrastructure in the state.
The meeting unanimously resolved that “No Foothills Road, no extraction of oil and exploration of crude oil in Bhandari and Changpang circles.”
KUD, ACCC object to exclusion of NFHRCC from consultative meet
The Konyak Union Dimapur (KUD) and 40 Bhandari Assembly Constituency Congress Committee (ACCC) have taken umbrage to the exclusion of Nagaland Foothills Road Construction Committee (NFHRCC) from the consultative meeting scheduled on April 30 by the state government.
KUD: Appealing the state government to include the NFHRCC as a participant in the consultative meeting, KUD president M Jeangeyanlem and general secretary Wangwan Konyak in a press release reminded the government that without the committee’s participation at the meeting there would never be a proper understanding of the issues regarding the Foothills Road project.
They stressed that the involvement of the NFHRCC, and its sacrifices and efforts in spreading this extraordinary people’s project since its inception in 2013 should never be sidelined or undermined.
As the Foothills Road was one of the main agendas to be discussed in the consultative meeting, they insisted that the NFHRCC should by any means be invited to participate.
ACCC : The 40 Bhandari Assembly ACCC too strongly objected to the exclusion of the NFHRCC from the proposed consultative meeting, besides the opinion of the state government to alter the original Foothills Road alignment and exclude the entire Changpang Block consisting of 27 villages.
Describing the move to alter the Foothills Road alignment as utterly shocking, unacceptable and a betrayal to the 12 Nagaland Apex Hoho’s endorsed alignment completed in 2013 between the state government and NFHRCC, ACC president Rhanlamo Lotha in a press release said it was equally disheartening to see the NFHRCC missing from the invitation list of the consultative meeting.
He claimed that excluding the NFHRCC at this juncture showed the insincerity on the part of the department concerned, cautioning that any decision taken without the involvement of the committee on the “historic Nagaland survival road” would be termed invalid.
On behalf of the rank and file of ACCC, Lotha called upon all to raise their voice irrespective of any political affiliation in support of accountability and justice in the pursuit of a proper road infrastructure within the state as propagated by the NFI-IRCC over the last 13 years.
He further urged the state government not to take any arbitrary decision on the Foothills Road project against the wishes of the people of Lotha Lower Range in particular and the entire Nagaland public in general.