In a significant development and against the backdrop of two construction firms refusing to sign an agreement with the Nagaland Foothill Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC), Commissioner & Secretary PWD (Works & Housing) department Kesonyu Yhome, has said that the Foothill Road project was 100% government-funded, and all necessary terms and conditions, including quality specifications, timelines, and obligations of contractors, had been clearly outlined in the official contract agreement between the PWD (R&B) and contractors.
Therefore, Yhome stated that there was no requirement for the contractors to enter into additional agreements with third parties, including the Nagaland Foothill Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC).
In a statement, Yhome assured that the government was fully committed to ensuring timely completion of the Foothill Road with quality workmanship but however cautioned that contractors failing to comply with the prescribed specifications and quality benchmarks “would be sternly dealt” with on the basis of the contract agreements. Yhome said though the intention of the NFHRCC was respected over maintaining quality and to ensure timely completion, he specified that such third-party agreements were not mandatory for a project fully funded by the government.
He stressed that no agency should also impose its terms on the government when it was fully seized of the urgency and gravity of the matter.
He urged all stakeholders – local communities, the NFHRCC, and contractors – to extend their full support and cooperation to ensure the immediate commencement and timely completion of this critical project. With the monsoon season approaching, he said there was an urgent need to begin work without further delay.
He reiterated that the government was committed to delivering the project for the benefit of the people of Nagaland, requesting all parties to work together in a spirit of collaboration.
Yhome said the state government had been consistently maintaining that the contractors should start their work immediately and asserted that the PWD (R&B) would not accept work stoppage for any reason.
He also claimed that the government had prioritised the Foothill Road construction and allocated funds over the years, Yhome disclosed that Rs 40 crore was allocated in 2013-14; Rs 27 crore in 2014-15; Rs 30 crore in 2021-22 and Rs 148.50 crore in 2023-24 {additional under Special Assistance to State for Capital Investment (SASCI)}.
He said these funds had been utilised for key components of the project, including construction of bridge over Doyang river at Liphayan, formation cutting of unconnected portions, construction of culverts and CD structures, and metaling of certain stretches.
He said the state government had also been actively pursuing central funding for the project, with multiple initiatives being undertaken since 2013-14, including proposals to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, resulting in MoRTH giving approval for preparation of feasibility study and detailed project report in September 5, 2016 and appointing CE Testing Company on March 30, 2017 to carry out the work.
He mentioned that the government had also requested declaration of the alignment as a national highway in 2019, proposed that the road be taken up by the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd in 2022-23, and submitted a proposal to Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council under the PM Gati Shakti initiative.
He acknowledged and deeply appreciated the relentless efforts and initiatives undertaken by the tribal hohos concerned and NFHRCC for advocating and fully backing the construction of the Foothill Road all these years.
Admitting that there had been delay in the project taking off since there had been no funding forthcoming from the central government under any scheme despite the state’s persistent efforts, Yhome pointed out that since the alignment was close to Assam, there were apprehensions raised by the neighboring state on several occasions.
However, lately, through the Nagaland government’s initiative with Assam government, relations had improved and conditions had become more favourable now to commence the work on ground.
Exhibiting the state government’s solid resolve, he said Rs 148.50 crore was released in July 2024 under SASCI 2023-24 to take up critical stretches of the road, including Dimapur to Merapani, connectivity to Rengmapani village, Tuli division and Mon division stretch, and a bridge in Peren district. He mentioned that work orders for these stretches were issued to the contractors in December 2024 for two-lane road construction.
Further, considering the limited resources of the state government, he said land compensation had never been paid for road projects undertaken by the PWD, except for national highway projects funded by the central government.
He pointed out that the state government’s policy had always been to request the communities and citizens to contribute to development by donating their land for right of way (RoW) for such projects. He sought the same goodwill and cooperation in the Foothill Road project from the communities of the concerned areas for this “public” road.
Yhome said the entire government machinery had been actively engaged in the project under the leadership of PWD (Roads & Bridges) minister, who had held 7-8 rounds of meetings with NFHRCC and tribal hohos concerned to address any apprehension or concern, adding that the department remained committed to maintaining an open dialogue, and welcomed suggestions and constructive inputs to ensure smooth and timely execution of the project.
He urged all parties to directly approach the department with any issue, rather than taking them to the media, which vitiated proper understanding of the subject.