Nagaland Congress warns rift between NFRCC and PWD could derail Foothills Road Project

A growing rift between the Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFRCC) and the state's Public Works Department threatens to derail a crucial infrastructure project, according to a statement released on March 2 by the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC).

The dispute centres on two construction firms refusing to sign implementation agreements with the NFRCC, which has evolved into a public confrontation between the committee and government officials.

"The discord, if not addressed immediately, could very well end up imperilling the implementation of the Foothills Road Project, thereby dashing the hopes and prayers of untold people in the state who are deeply invested in this historic initiative," the NPCC stated.

At issue is the role of the NFRCC, which the Congress Committee describes as having made "immense contributions" to the project. The NPCC criticised recent attempts by the Public Works Department to "disown and delink the NFRCC from the project by likening it to an uninvolved and uninvested third party."

The implementation agreement, now at the centre of the controversy, appears designed to ensure quality control and timely completion—concerns the NPCC considers justified given what they described as "many instances of unfinished and unexecuted projects by the government of the day in its long history of utter corruption and misgovernance."

The NPCC has called for authorities to resolve the standoff with "the active involvement and stewardship of the NFRCC as well as other similarly affected civil societies."

The Foothills Road Project represents a significant infrastructure development for Wokha jurisdiction and surrounding areas, with broad community support across Nagaland.