NFHRCC urges apex tribal hohos-state govt dialogue

Nagaland Foothills Road Co-ordination Committee (NHFRCC) has appealed to apex tribal hohos to initiate dialogue with the state government at the earliest, stating that its proposed phase-wise public agitation from April 15, 2026 was kept in abeyance following a request from 15 Nagaland apex tribal hohos and Dimapur-based tribal hohos.
In a press release, the committee said the appeal followed discussions held during the April 14, 2026 consultative meeting at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur, and sought to apprise the apex tribal hohos on key facts relating to the Nagaland Foothills Road initiative.
While appreciating the resurgence of the state government’s move to upgrade the Foothills Road into a two-lane National Highway, NFHRCC stated that the initiative was not new but a continuation of proposals from 2018-19. It said that in 2018, based on the NOC provided by landowners through apex/tribal hohos and NFHRCC in 2013, the same was handed over to the chief minister upon request. It further stated that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had deputed a national survey group, CE Testing & Co, Kolkata, which collaborated with NFHRCC based on the 2013-14 survey finalised by the committee, along with the PWD (R&B) with full knowledge of the chief minister.
Based on the survey report, PWD (R&B) prepared a DPR and rechristened the project as “Trans Nagaland Highway.” The government exchanged views with the NFHRCC, as the chief minister felt the term “Foothills Road” might attract internal and external technical issues. However, the committee maintained that the name should not be dropped entirely, and with the chief minister’s approval, “Foothills Road” was retained in brackets.
The government subsequently prepared a package-wise DPR in 2018-19 amounting to over Rs. 9,000 crore, with the first package of Rs. 3,377.15 crore covering the Niuland to Tuli stretch.
NFHRCC stated that the chief minister had also suggested that since the DPR had reached the Prime Minister’s Office and was expected to be declared a national highway, the committee could write to the Prime Minister. Accordingly, it said the committee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the office of then governor R.N. Ravi in 2019, stressing the magnitude of the road requirement. It maintained that the present proposal was therefore a continuation of collective efforts.
The committee said that, with the knowledge of apex tribal hohos, its demand for issuing work orders was legitimate, as the matter had been discussed repeatedly with PWD (R&B), and the minister had assured that the two-lane road with black topping would be completed by 2027.
It further stated that administrative approval of over Rs. 430 crore had already been accorded in March 2024, and the committee had strongly urged that there should be no disparity in fund allocation among divisions. It said that additional funds of over Rs. 573 crore were proposed as the original DPR had anomalies, citing that the longest stretch under Baghty division was allocated only Rs. 58 crore. In the revised DPR, Baghty division’s share was increased by more than Rs. 100 crore based on actual requirements.
However, NFHRCC alleged that prior to issuance of the official administrative approval, the department stopped sharing information with the committee. It said that under the SASCI loan scheme, the committee had strong reasons to demand transparency, maintaining that its objective was to ensure the Foothills Road project’s survival for the benefit of all while strengthening the efficacy of government performance on road projects.
The committee also referred to the March 30, 2026 meeting of Dimapur-based tribal hohos and NFHRCC, where a unanimous decision was taken to boycott the April 7, 2026 meeting convened by the deputy chief minister in Kohima on national highways, citing that NFHRCC was not invited. It stated that the decision had the endorsement of several apex tribal hohos and that the suggestion to boycott had also come from certain apex hohos.
Expressing concern, NFHRCC said it was shocked that some apex hohos later denied the call for abstaining from the April 7 meeting, terming it as a lack of understanding of the Foothills Road initiative since 2013.
Clarifying its position, NFHRCC stated that it had never acted as a parallel body to apex tribal hohos, adding that since 2013 it had consistently advocated the same vision and mission endorsed by them. It cautioned that attempts to undermine its initiatives at a stage when the project was nearing reality amounted to betrayal of the integrity of the mission.
The committee said it looked forward to guidance from apex tribal hohos on the issues raised and reiterated its appeal for early dialogue with the government.