Nagaland's Foothill Road dream likely to become reality as CM Rio takes initiative

KOHIMA: Even as civil society organizations have refused to budge an inch and tension continues to escalate along Nagaland's borders with Assam, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has committed to take up the Foothill Road construction without delay. Over the past couple of months, people from Assam have staged economic blockades along the Mariani-Mokokchung route, causing severe losses to the Nagaland economy.

CM Rio made the commitment to re-initiate work on Foothill Road after elected representatives of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly from the Ao community took up the issue with the CM on December 17 last.

Giving his commitment to take up the Foothill Road construction, the Chief Minister recalled that the Foothill road construction was conceived and initiated by him during his previous tenure as CM of the State but "unfortunately neglected after he left for Delhi".

"We were fully satisfied with the prompt response of the Hon'ble CM and committed that he will take up the Foot Hill Road construction forthwith: said Minister Metsiibo Jamir and MLA lmkong L Imchen in a 'Statement of Appreciation" issued today on behalf of the 11 Ao MLAs of Nagaland.

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The statement stated that since the middle part of November 2020, these immigrant people of Marani" have imposed so-called economic blockade firstly on the reason that the road condition of Marani to Mokokchung is not good and not motorable, and later on, they started objecting the location of one COVID-19 pandemic check-post at Ao Senden village, which, the Ao MLAs said, was totally unwarranted, uncalled-for and have no business to interfere in the internal affairs of Nagaland State.

'Of late there were unaccounted incidents and criminal activities perpetuated by the people of Marani inhabitants mostly immigrants against our people; perhaps even spreading to the neighboring districts of Mon, Longleng and Wokha, the reason only best known to the immigrant people of Assam and yet we have been tolerating over the years." it rued.

On the Foot Hill Road, the statement considered the road starting from Tizit to Khelma as the most important socio-economic road of the State, which will go a long way in the all round socio-economic development of the whole State not only giving relief to the daily commuters from across the State. "We on behalf of the Ao community once again extend our gratefulness to our CM for his prompt response to the plight of the people even in the days to come" it added.

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