Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, MAY 19 (NPN): Apex tribal hohos on Tuesday skipped a crucial joint meeting convened by Nagaland Foothill Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) to deliberate on the foothill road project.
Addressing the media after the meeting here, committee convener Supu Jamir expressed concern over the absence of apex tribal bodies, stating that only Dimapur-based tribal hohos attended the more than two-hour-long deliberation. Jamir said the meeting was convened following a request made earlier by 15 tribal hohos urging the committee to keep its proposed agitation in abeyance and pursue dialogue with the state government.
“Today’s meeting was organised to update them on the present position of the committee, but the apex tribal hohos did not attend,” he said. On the issue of phase-II work orders, Jamir said the committee would continue pressing the government to immediately issue the works through an open tender process, asserting that administrative approval for the project had already been accorded.
He also informed that Dimapur-based tribal bodies were entrusted with the responsibility of communicating with their respective apex organisations so that a joint sitting involving all stakeholders could be convened at the earliest.
The committee convenor reiterated that while awaiting approval of any mega project from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the proposed second phase work should be issued transparently through an open tender system without bias or favouritism.
Responding to queries on the decision of Chakhroma Public Organisation (CPO), Western Sümi Hoho (WSH) and Lotha Hoho not to participate in the agitation, Jamir said the committee remained inclusive. “It is their decision, but our doors remain open because the road belongs to the entire Naga family,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, the joint meeting adopted three-point resolutions, after marathon deliberation.
- To convene an immediate joint meeting of 15 apex tribal hohos, the Dimapur-based tribal hohos and NFHRCC, to be initiated by the Dimapur-based tribal hohos.
- To undertake joint inspection of all ongoing foothills road constructions at the earliest.
- Reiterated appeal to NPWD (R&B) to immediately finalise the issuance of work orders through an open tender process based on the administrative approval accorded under SASCI loan scheme.