Foothills road stir deferred in Nagaland, agitation on hold; govt asked to clarify Rs 430 cr project

The Nagaland Foothills Road Co-ordination Committee (NFHRCC) on April 15 announced the temporary suspension of its proposed agitation over the upgradation of the Foothills Road, following a high-level consultative meeting with tribal bodies in Dimapur.

The decision was taken during a marathon meeting held at Hotel Saramati with stakeholders and apex tribal hohos, where it was unanimously resolved to keep the phase-wise agitation—scheduled to begin from April 15—in abeyance for the time being, based on a request from the tribal organisations.

The committee, however, asserted that it would continue to act as a “watchdog” over the proposed upgradation of the Foothills Road into a two-lane national highway, particularly in light of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by apex tribal bodies.

Raising concerns over financial transparency, the NFHRCC urged the Government of Nagaland to publicly clarify the revised administrative approval amounting to ₹430.77 crore, which has been earmarked for the Foothills Road construction project.

While deferring the agitation, the committee warned that it may resume protests if the government fails to address the aspirations and concerns of the Naga public.

The development comes amid growing scrutiny over the long-pending Foothills Road project, which is seen as a critical infrastructure initiative in Nagaland.