Ao organisations push for foothill road phase II

Four Dimapur-based Ao organisations– Ao Senso Telongjem Dimapur (ASTD), Dimapur Watsü Telongjem (DWT), Dimapur Ao Youth Organization (DAYO) and Ao Kaketshir Telongjem Dimapur (AKTD)- have urged the government to prioritise continuation of the two-lane construction of the Foothill Road.
In a joint statement, the organisations said the Foothill Road project represented a long-cherished aspiration of the people of Nagaland and would serve as a vital lifeline by improving connectivity across several districts along the foothill belt. They also expressed strong support for the memorandum submitted on February 21, 2026 by 13 Dimapur-based tribal hohos seeking issuance of second-phase work orders before the stipulated deadline. The organisations said they would uphold the contents of the memorandum until the matter reached a logical conclusion.
They maintained that the project under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme should be allowed to continue without complications so that the work already undertaken was not delayed or disrupted.
Further, they stressed that the proposal for a trans-national highway should not be mixed with the ongoing two-lane Foothill Road project under SASCI at this stage. While both initiatives were important, they said the immediate priority should be completion of the ongoing two-lane construction. They therefore urged the government to issue the second-phase work order so that the project could continue without interruption.
The organisations also appealed to the government to build consensus and resolve any misunderstanding with the Foothill Road Committee through dialogue and cooperation to ensure successful completion of the project.